


Too Much Love || jimercury a/b/o

by AnironSidh



Series: Queen a/b/o [1]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: A/B/O, Alpha Brian, Alpha Jim Hutton, Alpha Paul Prenter, Alpha Roger Taylor (Queen), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Beta John Deacon, Beta Mary, Brian and Roger love their bois, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Freddie Mercury Lives, Freddie is a badass omega, I'm Sorry, Live Aid, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Miscarriage, Not porn, Omega Freddie Mercury, Omega Verse, Pack Dynamics, Paul is an asshole, Protective Pack, THANKFULLY, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Unplanned Pregnancy, and jim picks up the pieces, and really old-fashioned, but then jim, freddie doesn't get sick, it doesn't work out, jimercury is endgame, mary austin is a pure bean, no aids, not really non con but it's still there, paul hurts freddie, queen is a disaster family, queen is a family pack, that don't need no alpha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2019-11-23 18:35:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 20,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18155549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnironSidh/pseuds/AnironSidh
Summary: Omegas have always been the lowest class, below the neutral betas and under the control of the alphas. Very few make it far in the world before they are stuck in a home with an alpha.Freddie Mercury doesn't believe in his role. He's determined to break all barriers his fellow omegas are trapped behind and maybe become a rockstar in the process. Some of the alphas he meets become friends and others, enemies. There may be one that won't treat him so badly like all the others do, but one he thinks could be good may turn out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.The world will see what an omega can truly do.





	1. Waiting for the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> This au is cliche, I know. I just got the idea for a sassy omega Freddie who's still a rockstar despite doing something he's always told he can't. I'm not trying to write one of these a/b/o fics that's a bunch of social commentary but it'll end up being a little of that.  
> The end ship is Jimercury, but Freddie has a few to get through. This will go somewhat canonical, mostly like the movie, but things will change because of the omegaverse. I did a bit of skipping around here and there, skipping over stuff that really isn't super important or is exactly the same as canon.  
> I wrote some movie dialogue wrong, but it still works. It's going to be somewhat shorter than I usually write, maybe 15 chapters or so.  
> I'm screwing with the canon entirely, but it's all for the story so stick with me.

-1985-

 

    He could hear the crowd from where he sat in the trailer. The other three men sitting with him glanced at the door occasionally, waiting for their cue. Of course, the hundred thousand people outside could probably be heard in Siberia. Freddie would be surprised if there were no complaints. 

    “That’s almost us,” Brian May remarked. Roger Taylor continued twirling his drumsticks. 

    John Deacon stopped fiddling with his guitar and sighed. “This is it, then. Either we rock this concert or we go down in history as the worst band ever.” He was usually the calm one, being the sole beta of the group, but now he seemed nervous. 

    “We cannot go onto the stage with that attitude, darlings.”

    Roger rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Deaks, relax.”

    Brian glared. He and Roger often ended in fights over silly things as the two alphas. Deaky and Freddie were always left to break it up. 

    Luckily, a knock at the door stopped any fight. The band stood up as one and exited the trailer. Someone took Freddie’s jacket when he passed by. Freddie led his group through the chaotic backstage, around piles of things and people scrambling about. He hoped Mary and Jim had managed to get to their place backstage already. 

    Freddie turned to his band, received a nod from each of them, and turned back to the curtain. 

    This was it. The biggest concert of their lives. Freddie took a deep breath and pushed the curtain aside to run onto the stage. The crowd’s volume increased the second they saw him, hands reaching as close as they could get. 

     Freddie sat at the piano. This concert would not just cement Queen’s place in rock history, but would show everyone who’d doubted him that they were wrong. 

    An omega could get to where he was. He’d done it himself, after all. 

 

-1970-

 

    The room was decent as far as college pubs went, but it was still much too dark and crowded. The band was all the way at the other end of the room. Freddie made his way to the bar. He leaned towards the bartender to order something. Someone larger than him shoved him out of the way and smirked. 

    “Fucking omega. Stop getting in the way of people more important than you,” he growled, ordering a drink. Freddie glared at the back of his head. The alpha left a moment later to head for the stage. 

    The beta behind the bar scoffed. “Sorry about that. You alright? He’s always doing that, pushing everyone else out of his way,” she said, then smiled. “What would you like, dear?”

    “Pint of lager. He just surprised me.”

    Freddie took his glass and pushed through the crowd until he could see the band. He danced along with the crowd. Smile wasn’t terrible, the guitarist and the drummer were good, but the singer was bringing them down. Tim Staffel was a classic alpha, cocky and headstrong. 

    A band of three alphas was a risky idea. Smile seemed to work together, so maybe it could work. 

 

    “Humpy Bong? Are you joking?”

    Tim shrugged. “I’ve got to give it a go, guys. This, college gigs and pubs, this isn’t going anywhere. Humpy Bong is going places, they’re gonna be big.”

    Roger snarled at him. “Are you fucking joking? I thought you believed in this band, you fucking asshole!” Brian held him back with a hand on his shoulder, shooting Tim a glare of his own. 

    Tim grabbed his bass and backed away. Roger spun around, threw Brian’s hand off, and tossed his drumsticks. 

    “This is a load of bollocks!”

    Brian nodded. “There was room for improvement, yeah.” He sat in the back of their van beside Roger and leaned back onto the door. 

    Roger took a breath from his cigarette. “I’ve got better things to do with my Saturday nights. I could give you their names,” he quipped. Brian glared at him for a moment. 

    “He’s right, you know. We’re not going anywhere.”

    Roger seemed about to respond when they heard footsteps. The newcomer’s scent hit them just before he appeared around the corner. Brian looked up to observe the omega. He stood in front of them with an unusually self-assured stance, a mop of dark hair around his face. Brian dimly recognized him from the design department, one of the few omegas brave enough to even go to college. 

    He was even more surprised when the boy told them he was a fan and even offered his talent for writing songs. 

    Roger scoffed. “You’re about five minutes too late.”

    “Our lead singer just quit,” Brian told Freddie when he looked confused. Freddie brightened and smiled, revealing a large set of teeth, the opposite reaction Brian expected. 

    “Then you’ll need someone new.”

    “Like who?” Roger retorted, leaning back. Freddie shrugged. 

    “What about me?”

    Roger rolled his eyes and snickered. “Not with those teeth, mate. Anyways, what manager would want a band led by an omega?”

    Brian felt a little sorry when Freddie just nodded and turned around. 

    “ _ I know what I’m doing. Got a feelin, I should be doing alright. _ ” 

    Brian and Roger stared at each other, and turned back to Freddie who was grinning again. “ _ Doing alright.” _

    Freddie shrugged. “I was born with four additional incisors. More space in my mouth means more range,” he explained. “I’ll think about your offer.”

    With that, he walked away. Brian leaned forward. “You play bass?”

    “Nope!” Freddie shouted back. 

    “Holy shit,” Roger muttered. “He’s good. We do need a new singer.”

    Brian nodded. “Yeah. We’d still need a bass player. I say someone who isn’t another alpha, maybe a beta would help. I don’t want more arguments like the ones we had with Tim.” Roger leaned forward to look in the direction Freddie had disappeared. 

    “And a manager who’d take a band with an omega lead singer,” he added. “You know how fucking old-fashioned people still are.”

    “Then we hold some auditions for a bass player and see if this could work out. We could pretend Freddie’s a beta or something at least. I think he’s got the attitude for it.”

    Roger shrugged. “Alright. Fine. This is on you, though. I’m not responsible if this falls apart.”


	2. I Know What I'm Doing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing John Deacon, the purest boi

    Roger threw his drumsticks across the floor. “This is bullshit!” He flopped onto a chair, leaned back, and groaned. 

    Freddie fell onto the couch. “Is it just me, or did they all either sound like shit or acted like shit?” he asked, turning to Brian. 

    “Yeah, pretty much.”

    Most of the people who’d auditioned had either sounded terrible, sounded bad and been nice, or had sounded good but had treated Freddie like he wasn’t even there. Roger had thrown his drumsticks at the last one to make a remark about why they had an omega in the band. 

    Freddie shot up at a knock on the door. Brian turned to look. 

    “Are the auditions still open? My roommate forgot to set the alarm.”

    Roger sat up and nodded. “Yeah. We’re about to close up, but sure. The spot’s still open.”

    The beta smiled. “Alright. John Deacon. It’s nice to meet you all.”

    John, unlike the others, went straight to Freddie to shake his hand. Brian looked over at Roger and nodded. His only hope was that he could play. 

    John looked up only when he was done playing. The other three had gone silent, staring at him. 

    “Am I any good?”

    Roger scoffed. “Any good? You’re the best bass player I’ve ever heard!” he replied, grinning. “I think I can say this. Welcome to the band, John Deacon.”

    Freddie cheered and began hopping up and down. Brian rolled his eyes at him and smiled at John. A moment later he was surrounded by all three of them, a odd sort of group hug from Freddie that Brian and Roger joined in on. 

    Brian stepped away to pull a case of beer out from his guitar case. 

    “Tonight, boys, we celebrate.”

 

-

 

    Roger winced when the apartment door creaked open. The rest of the band was probably asleep, but Brian had ears like a hawk and Freddie had the worst sleeping schedule ever. John was the only one that could be depended on to make sure they all got enough sleep. 

    “Roger? Darling, where have you been? Brian’s pissed.”

    Freddie was curled up in the armchair he usually claimed with a kitten on his lap he’d found in the alley. Roger shoved another cat off of the couch and sat down. The cat glared at him and stalked to Freddie’s room. 

    “It’s fine, Fred. Just out.”

    Freddie rolled his eyes. “Out,” he muttered. “Anyone I know?”

    “Maybe. Some brunette beta. Don’t remember her name right now.” He leaned back onto the couch, turning his head to look over. Freddie nodded. Now that Roger looked, there was something off about him. His hands were laying on the armrest instead of petting the kitten, a blanket was hanging off of his shoulders, and there was just something wrong in his eyes. 

    “What happened, Freddie?”

    He shrugged. “It’s fine, Roger. Just some stupid alpha wouldn’t leave me alone.”

    “What did they do?” His words came out louder than he expected, hackles rising, but Roger couldn’t bring himself to care. 

    “He wouldn’t leave me alone, like I told you,” Freddie assured him. “A professor was walking by and stopped him.”

    Roger growled. “Stopped him from what?”

    Freddie shrugged. “I don’t know, and I really don’t give a shit. I can defend myself, Rog. There’s no need to get all protective.”

   “I know you can,” Roger murmured. “Still, you’re part of our pack. There’d be no Queen without you.”

    Freddie smiled and stood up, trudging in the direction of his room. “Obviously.”

    Roger watched him go, the kitten following him dutifully. There was no sound from Brian’s room or from John’s. They seemed to have slept through the entire thing. 

    Before going to his own Roger peeked into Freddie’s room. The kitten’s eyes flashed from where it was lying by the pillow. Everything seemed alright. He knew he’d been a bit over protective, but keeping Freddie safe was important. Brian did it too, even if he didn’t seem to notice. It was some kind of base instinct to protect the lone omega in their group. The world would eat Freddie alive if it could.

    Roger refused to let it. 

 

-

 

    Ray Foster was an asshole. John was pissed off and he was supposed to be the calm one of the group. Foster was the kind of older alpha who saw omegas as the dirt he walked on. He’d said less than a sentence to Freddie, turning instead to Brian or Roger. If Mary’d been there he probably would have talked to her first. 

    They’d hit a break when John Reid heard their demo and agreed to manage them. Ray Foster was like the wall they’d been expecting. 

    “I’m not the leader of the band, actually,” Brian said when Ray ignored Freddie again. “Freddie is. He’s got the answers you want.”

    To say Foster frowned would be an understatement. He looked pissed. Roger’s resulting grin was the smuggest thing John had ever seen. Foster sighed.

    “Alright, Mercury. What do you want?”

    Freddie grinned. “We want to make a new album. Something different.” He stood up, caught the record Roger tossed at him, and put it onto the record player. Foster sighed when the sound of opera began ringing through the room. 

    “Opera.”

    Reid nodded. “Opera.” Paul echoed him a moment later, keeping his eyes glued onto Freddie as he flounced around the room, throwing small objects around as the music reached a high point. 

    Roger got an odd feeling from Paul Prenter. He didn’t pretend Freddie wasn’t there, like most other alphas did, but he paid a little too much attention to him. He stayed away if Mary was in the room or if one of the band stood near Freddie. 

    If Paul made one wrong move he’d regret it. 

    Freddie turned the music down and grinned. Foster just groaned. 

    “Aren’t you aware that no one actually likes opera?”

    Miami cleared his throat. “I like opera.” 

    “Don’t misunderstand, darling, it’s a rock and roll record,” Freddie said, leaning forward. “But with the scale of opera.”

    The band managed to remain calm until they walked out the door, record deal in hand. Freddie cheered, turning to the band. He found matching grins on the others faces. Reid and Prenter arrived a moment later, followed by Miami. 

    “Come on, boys. We’ve got a record to arrange.”

    As Paul passed by Freddie, slowing down for a second, Freddie felt the alpha's eyes pass over him almost predatorily. John appeared from behind and blocked Paul. He began talking about an idea for a song he’d had, something for Veronica. 

    Roger and Brian caught up a moment later. Freddie forgot about Paul’s odd behavior and became engrossed in the band discussion that had turned into an argument over cars. 


	3. All the Troubles in My Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starring John Deacon as ‘Kitten thinks of nothing but murder all day’. (This is just the way he is)

    Rockfield farm was definitely not what they were expecting. They’d been told they were going to a remote recording studio to record A Night at The Opera, but not a farm in the middle of nowhere.

    “What the fuck is this?”

    Paul appeared from behind the car, holding Freddie’s bags. “I know it’s not the Ritz, not even close. The idea is to get away from all distractions.”

    Roger glared at him. He grabbed his bag out of the car trunk and tossed Brian’s at him. Freddie was leaning against the car, inspecting the farm. 

    “Prenter’s your porter then, I suppose,” John quipped. Freddie rolled his eyes. The only thing of his own he held seemed to be a box of suppressants in his pocket. 

    “I don’t mind. Less work for me.”

    To no one’s surprise, Paul directed Freddie to the biggest room. Brian knocked past him on his way into his room, and Roger shot him a glare. John was shown to the smallest room. He was tempted to shove Paul down the stairs for a moment. 

    If Brian hadn’t called down for a band meeting, he might have. 

 

-

 

    Paul was hovering over Freddie’s shoulder anytime he left his room. Roger had taken to making sure they were never alone, unless Brian went with them or occasionally John did. They seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement that Prenter could not be trusted, under any circumstances. 

    They’d forgotten about nighttime. 

    Freddie slipped out of his room, careful to avoid the creaky stairs, and out to the barn. The piano was still set up just like he’d left it. Even his papers were arranged the way they’d been that morning. 

    He didn’t notice the thin trail of smoke until he’d finished the music he was writing. Paul was lounging in a chair in the other side of the room, watching him, a cigarette hanging from his fingers. 

    “ _ Love of my Life, you’ve hurt me. You’ve broken my heart, and now you leave me. _ ”

    Paul stood up and wandered over. Freddie leaned away to write down the lyrics, moving away from Paul in the process. The attention he got from the alpha was beginning to make him uncomfortable, but tonight it seemed worse. 

    “It’s beautiful,” Paul murmured. “What’s it called?”

    Freddie glanced up for a split second. “Love of my Life. I wrote it for Mary.”

    “If you say so.”

    Mary had asked for a song, ‘something sort of sad’, she’d said. He promised he’d write it. They’d been together for a few years, and she was the love of his life. It’d work out as long as no one knew he was an omega. She was okay with it, the perfectly calm beta that she was. 

    Paul had somehow wandered closer while he was thinking. Freddie turned to say something, whether it was to tell him to leave or not, but Paul grabbed his chin as he turned and leaned down. 

    Freddie instinctively froze, hoping that the bruising kiss would end soon. Paul raised a hand to Freddie’s neck to hold him closer. Freddie finally mustered the strength to raise his hands to Paul’s chest and push him away. 

    “Don’t…”

    Paul leaned closer. “I know you, Freddie Mercury.”

    “No. You don’t know me. Please don’t… don’t misunderstand, Paul. Mary knows me in a way that no one else will.”

    The alpha scoffed. “Don’t forget your place, Freddie. You’ll get hurt one day if you do.”

    “My place?” 

    “Omegas are meant to shut up and do what they’re told,” Paul replied, shrugging. “That’s the way it is. It’s always been that way.”

    Freddie glared at him. “I can do whatever I want to Paul. We work together, that’s all. You have no right to… to do that or to tell me what to do.”

    Paul moved so that Freddie was trapped between his arms. He was close enough that the smell of alcohol on his breath was staggering. 

    “I can do whatever I want to. It’d be easier if you stopping hiding behind Taylor. None of them are always going to be able to protect you, Freddie.”

    Freddie pushed him away and darted to the door, narrowly missing being caught by Paul as he went past. “Leave me alone, Paul. I don’t need an alpha. I especially don’t need one like  _ you. _ ”

    There were no following footsteps. Freddie ran up to the his room and locked the door behind him. He stumbled over to the bed and crashed onto it, curling up into a ball. 

    He should have known Paul would try something with the way the others never left them alone together. 

    “Freddie?”

    He let his breath out, grateful Mary had answered on the first ring. “Hello, darling.”

    Mary seemed to move around before she answered. “Freddie, it’s two am. Is something wrong?”

    “I just… I wanted to hear your voice. I’m sorry, I should let you sleep,” he found himself rambling. Mary laughed softly on the other end. 

    “It’s alright. I was having trouble sleeping anyways, so you haven’t bothered me. But really, is everything alright? You sound a little off.”

    Freddie shook his head, forgetting for a moment that she couldn’t see him. “It’s just been a long day. Lots of recording, you know.”

    “Okay. Goodnight, Freddie.”

    “Goodnight.”

    He felt as if he couldn’t possibly sleep. 

 

-

 

    Something was definitely wrong. Prenter had been missing all morning, not that Brian missed him. Freddie was acting off, however. He’d walked in on an argument over Roger’s stupid car song (which was definitely weird, even if it was metaphors) and walked out a few moments later. 

    Roger, still fuming, slammed down the coffee machine. John rolled his eyes. 

    “Does Freddie seem alright to you?” Brian turned to the door. 

    John glanced outside. “A bit distracted, maybe.”

    “If Prenter did anything I’ll kill him,” Roger growled. “He’s hiding today. I wouldn’t put shit past him.”

    Brian shrugged. “Maybe. Someone should figure it out before we start recording.”

    The faint sound of a piano came from the house. Freddie was singing something, too far away for any of them to hear the words. He stopped suddenly. 

    “Come on. Let’s go see what Freddie’s got up to now.” Brian stood up and walked towards the door. Roger and John followed him to the house. 

    They’d find out what was going on. They had to. 


	4. No Escape From Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger trusts Paul even less, Foster's an asshole as always, and Mary won't let anyone hurt Freddie as long as she's around.

    Prenter had turned up by the time they’d begun to record. He stood by the back wall, in the shadows. Either Freddie was just oblivious or he was ignoring him. Brian sat by the turntable, in between where Freddie sat and Paul, and John was on the couch. Roger shot death glares at Paul in between complaints about how high his ‘Galileo’  notes were. 

    “If I go any higher, only dogs will hear me!”

    Freddie grinned. “Higher.”

    Brian gestured upwards and Roger groaned. John rolled his eyes and pressed the button to start the music again. 

    “My nuts feel like they’re in my chest right now,” Roger complained. 

    “It’s perfect.” 

    Roger tossed the headphones aside and left to get lunch. Brian and John followed him, already arguing over what to eat. Freddie stood up and turned around, tensing up when he noticed Paul hanging back. 

    “Where did you disappear to?”

    Paul shrugged. “In town. Visiting people, you know,” he replied, painfully casual. Freddie nodded and began to walk out. Paul reached out and grabbed his wrist. Freddie tugged away. 

    “Don’t touch me,” he hissed. Paul seemed surprised, at least enough to loosen his grip. Freddie rushed out to join the others in the kitchen before Paul could answer. Roger turned when he walked in, looking alarmed. 

    “Everything alright, Freddie?” 

    He nodded. “Sure. Now come on, I demand food.”

    Roger snickered. “Bloody drama queen.”

    Freddie grinned, leaning forwards. “I  _ am _ the Queen, darling,” he shot back. John sighed and tossed a pamphlet at them. 

    “Let’s order something, unless you two are going to fight over the crown, because I’m starving over here.”

 

-

 

    Prenter seemed to back off in the following weeks. He either hung back or wasn’t even around for the time it took to finish the record. He arrived with Reid when they brought the record to Foster, staying behind the band for most of the meeting. 

    Freddie grinned when the last notes of the song faded, leaning forwards. Foster groaned. 

    “Well, I’m not entirely sure that’s the album you promised us.”

    “No, it's better than the album we promised you. It's better than any album anyone's ever promised you, darling. It's a bloody masterpiece,” Freddie shot back. 

    Reid nodded. “It is a good album, Ray.” The band grinned 

    “We prefer masterpiece,” Brian added. 

    Foster’s lip curled. He spent the next twenty minutes (at least) arguing over the song. Roger even shook his head when his car song was suggested as the single, and John didn’t want his as the single either. They were dead set on using Bohemian Rhapsody. Foster, if anything, got louder and angrier, mostly at Freddie. 

    Freddie scoffed. “No. We know what we have, even if you don't.” He stood up and strode to the door, turning at the last second to shoot back, “It's called Bohemian Rhapsody. You will forever be known as the man who lost Queen.”

    Roger made sure to flip him off before he left the room. Freddie picked up a stray brick outside Foster’s window and threw it, smirking when the man’s head poked out of the window. They were all still laughing when Freddie got out of the car at his and Mary’s apartment.

    “How did it go?” Mary was leaning against the doorframe, a wooden spoon in hand. Freddie kissed her on the cheek as he walked past. 

    “Like shit. Foster either hates the record or hates it and hates me on top of that,” he explained, shrugging. 

    Mary sighed. “I don’t know why they all have to be so old-fashioned. It’s ridiculous.”

    “I don’t know, and I don’t care,” he replied. “He can go stuff it, for all I care.”

    She stood up and turned to the kitchen. “Well, I made dinner while you were gone. They let us out of work early, a pipe burst somewhere in the building.”

    While they ate Mary stayed silent, watching Freddie with an odd look on her face. She seemed to be looking for something that wasn’t there. 

    “What’s wrong, Freddie?” she murmured. 

    “Nothing.”

    Mary sighed. “Something’s off, Freddie. Ever since you came back from that farm, something’s been wrong,” she explained, reaching forwards to hold his hand. 

    He almost told her for a second, almost told her what Paul had done. She would understand. Mary had always been kind to him, the perfectly calm beta she was, and she wouldn’t blame him for what happened. It hadn’t been his fault, right?

    But something stopped him. “It’s nothing, darling. It’s just stress over the album,” he reassured her, forcing a smile. “Don’t worry.”

    She didn’t seem to believe him, judging by her expression, but she let it be and began talking about her day. Freddie tuned it out. Maybe Paul wouldn’t bother him anymore. 

-

 

    Mary sat back in the seat. She watched through the window as Freddie handed the record over to Kenny. 

    “I had no idea Freddie knew Kenny so well.”

    Paul shrugged. “Nor did I.”

    The two men in the box were oblivious to them. Mary turned slightly to watch Paul, who was leaning forwards in his seat. His eyes were focused on Freddie, following him whenever he moved even slightly. 

    Mary got an odd feeling from him. He was the usual type of alpha, but that wasn’t it. He was always present somehow, usually hovering behind Freddie. He’d seemed to back off after the farm ever so slightly. 

    Freddie stood up and began to dance to the song, laughing along with Kenny. Just then, Mary noticed a predatory gleam in Paul’s stare. She stood and walked up to the window. It might not have blocked Paul’s sight completely, but at least she could stop him from staring at Freddie like  _ that _ . 

    She’d promised herself that she would protect him from people like that, people who saw Freddie as nothing more than a useless omega, as something to walk over. 

    When he turned around, Freddie smiled at her, flashing his signature grin. Mary waved back and smiled softly. Behind her, Paul moved to the door and leaned against the doorframe. Mary subtly shifted to block his line of sight again. 

    No one would get to Freddie as long as she was around. 


	5. Love Of My Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The peace of their love may not last long. A predator waits on the outside for his opportunity to strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one makes me sad, but it's at least before shit hits the fan soon, so I guess that's better.

    Escaping the insanity of the concert took far too long, but Freddie had gotten good at it. He slipped through the crowd to a phone he’d seen on their way in. Mary’s number was easy to remember. It was practically embedded in his mind from all the times he’d called her while on tour. 

    She answered instantly, the sound of cats yowling in the background. “Hello, Freddie.”

    “Hello darling. How’s boring old London?”

    She laughed. “Not as exciting as America, I’m sure. Hold on, the boys are absolutely being nuisances.”

    “Of course they are,” he said, chuckling. “Tom, Jerry, can you hear me?”

    Mary sighed. “Freddie, when do I get to see you again?”

    Freddie waited until a group of people passed by to speak. “I’ll be home soon, darling. Will you put Romeo on the phone so I can tell him I miss him?” On the other end, Mary seemed to move around.

    “Do you miss me, Freddie?” she whispered. He chuckled. 

    “What a silly question,” he replied, grinning. “Of course I do.”

    She paused for a moment. “I love you.”

    “Goodnight.”

    He hung the phone up and stood back from it, lifting the cigarette he held to his lips. Out of the corner of his eye he vaguely saw Paul talking to someone with dark hair. The stranger, an omega, looked like him for a moment until he turned to look over at Freddie. 

    Paul pulled the boy along as they left. Freddie escaped to his room the second they arrived at their rented house. Brian and Roger had left for drinks and John had gone outside for a walk or something. 

    He was luckily left alone for the rest of the night. 

-

    Freddie pulled his bathrobe tighter as he walked down the step into the living room. Paul glanced up from his paper and nodded. 

    “Morning, boss.”

    It took a moment to notice the omega from the concert spread out on the sofa. Freddie sneered at him, turning to Paul. “Clean this mess up and get rid of your friend.” Paul paused for a moment before gesturing to the man and towards the door. 

    “Go on.” The man, who’d only just sat up, nodded and rushed to gather his things. 

    Freddie waited until he’d left to speak. Paul had picked his paper again, leaning back in his chair. 

    “Who was that?”

    Paul shrugged. “Not a clue. His name doesn’t really matter anyways.”

    “I’m not an idiot, Paul,” Freddie shot back, spinning around. “I’m not blind either. I can see who he looked like.”

    There was a pause for a split second. “And if he did? I’m entitled to things.” Freddie scoffed and turned back away from him. He felt rather than heard Paul lean forwards. The alpha reached a hand out, not quite reaching Freddie but well within reach. 

    “I’ve told you before, don’t touch me. You may be an alpha, but whatever else you’re entitled to, you’re not entitled to  _ me _ ,” Freddie hissed, storming out before Paul could say anything else. 

-

    Mary smiled as she watched Freddie fiddle with the television. He stood up, backing up to the couch to sit beside her. There was something odd in his eyes, like he wanted to say something he couldn’t. 

    Freddie chuckled softly. “According to Brian it was the largest paying audience in history. The whole night… I didn't know if they understood a thing I was saying. And then…”

_     “Love of my life, you've hurt me. You've broken my heart. And now you leave me. Love of my life, can't you see? Bring it back, bring it back, don't take it away from me.” _

    “They’re all singing to you,” he whispered. “Thousands of them. And it’s true.”

    Mary reached up to cup his cheek. “Freddie, what’s wrong?” She sighed. “Something’s been wrong for a while now. Say it.”

    “Mary…”

    She shook her head. “Say it.” He stared at her for a moment, something seeming to tremble in his eyes. 

     “I’ve been thinking about it a lot,” -he hesitated for a moment- “I… I think I’m bisexual.”

    Mary’s breath rushed out in one gust. She grasped his hands in hers and smiled, though holding back the tears was difficult. “No, Freddie, you’re gay.” She stood up and walked to the window, watching the street outside. Behind her, she could hear Freddie stand up and step towards her. 

    “Mary… Mary, I’m sorry-”

    She shook her head. “Don’t, Freddie... It’s funny how I always seem to settle for this, ‘I love you, but’. I love you, but I need space. I love you, but I’ve met someone else. And now I love you, but I’m…” she broke off for a second. “This is even worse because it isn’t even your fault.” Mary turned around to find Freddie standing across from her. “What do you want from me, Freddie?”

    “Almost everything,” he whispered back, reaching out to her. 

    She turned away. “Your life is going to be very difficult, Freddie. You can’t keep hiding what you are. People will figure it out eventually if you keep hiding behind some guise or behind Roger and I.” 

    Freddie jerked forwards when she moved to pull on her engagement ring. “No. Don’t take it off. You promised you’d never take it off.” Mary sighed, pushing the ring back on. She examined it for a moment. She’d always thought that maybe it could have worked out, but something told her it wouldn’t. Omegas and betas just didn’t usually get married, that was just how it worked. If Freddie wasn’t so famous they might have been able to get away with it, but Queen’s fans would never let him. 

    “I’m sorry, Freddie. I just hope there’s someone better out there for you.”

    Mary looked at Freddie for a moment longer before grabbing her coat and rushing out. The door shut behind her, the sole sound in the apartment. Freddie wiped the tears from his face and leaned against the window. He watched Mary walk out to her car and drive away, disappearing out of sight. 


	6. Don't Want to Live Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary's gone and Paul's being a fucking creep again. Roger still hates him, as usual

    Roger spun around to Brian and John the second Freddie left the room. John set down his bass and sighed. 

    “Something’s wrong with him,” Roger shot out. 

    Brian shrugged. “He hasn’t said anything to me. John?” he asked, turning to the bassist. 

    “Nope. I honestly hadn’t heard from him until this morning since the concert,” John replied, glancing into the hallway. Roger tossed his drumsticks down and followed where Freddie had gone. He’d walked through most of the studio until he found the omega sitting in one of the empty rooms. 

    “Freddie?”

    No response. Roger sighed, moving to sit beside him. “Freddie, what’s going on?”

    “Nothing, Rog. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he muttered. 

    Roger shook his head, leaning back. “Nope. Not until you tell me why you’re being so bitchy lately,” he shot back. Freddie glared at him. 

    “Mary and I…” he trailed off. Roger waited a moment for him to pick it back up. “We aren’t together anymore.”

_ What?  _

    Roger barely had a second to process it before Freddie’s shoulders started shaking. He pulled Freddie to his chest and waited for the sobs to weaken. 

    “It’ll be alright, Freddie,” he whispered. The omega nodded, leaning back, and wiped his tears away on his jacket sleeve. Roger made a face at that. “Come on, let’s go record this song Brian’s got.”

    Freddie laughed. “Alright. Just give me a minute to freshen up quick, and we’ll blow the damn roof off.” Roger grinned, stood up, and left the room. He spared a short glance behind him to see Freddie stand up and head towards the nearest bathroom. 

    Brian looked up when he walked back in the studio. “Everything alright then?”

    “Yeah,” Roger replied. “He and Mary broke up, apparently, so it’s a bit rough.” John winced. 

    Freddie flounced back in, a smile back on his face. He seemed to act normal the rest of the day. Paul appeared at the very end from wherever he’d been hiding, resting a hand on Freddie’s shoulder to lead him out despite Roger’s warning growl and the death look Brian shot at him. Even John glared at him. 

    Paul turned back to bare his teeth at them, pulling Freddie along in front of him so he couldn’t see. 

    Roger kicked the trash can once they’d disappeared. “I swear, he hurts him once…”

 

\-  (aka Ew, Paul’s being creepy again, fuck off dude)

    The apartment was dark when they arrived. There was no smell of anything other than  _ Freddie  _ and that, to Paul, was as good as direct permission. Nothing seemed to remain of Mary. She had been in his way, and now she was gone. He followed the omega into the apartment, receiving a confused look. 

    “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” he asked, hanging up his coat. Paul paused for a moment, breathing in and calming his mind from it’s mantra of  _ Freddie Freddie Freddie. _ He smiled. 

    “Not at the moment,” he replied smoothly. “Reid can take care of the others for now. He’s better at all that.” Freddie walked ahead of him and Paul followed close behind. He leaned against the doorway and watched Freddie busy himself with the teapot. 

    Freddie handed him a cup. “I can handle myself, Paul.” The alpha nodded, taking a step closer and a short sip of his tea. 

    “I know that.” It was clear he wasn’t believed, but Freddie shrugged and turned to  wash out his cup. Paul watched the movement with interest, a plan beginning in his mind. 

    In the split second Freddie’s back was turned Paul rested the cup on the counter and rushed forwards to box the omega in, an arm on either side of him. Freddie froze. Paul grinned. 

    “What are you doing?” 

    Paul leaned forwards so that he was closer, his mouth near Freddie’s ear. “Why? Should it matter?” he murmured. Freddie shivered. The cup fell to the ground. Neither man moved at the crashing sound. Paul was too focused on his goal. 

    Freddie turned, barely possible with the limited space, and glanced up. That was all Paul needed to lean forwards, pressing himself to Freddie. 

    He grinned against the other man’s mouth. He finally had what he wanted. 

-

    John had never been confrontational. It wasn’t in his nature as a beta and fighting had never appealed to him. Talking usually worked better.

    The sight of Paul Prenter walking in behind Freddie, an arm around his shoulders, made him want to punch the alpha’s teeth out. He probably would have if Freddie didn’t have that damn happy look on his face. Roger sneered, his fists white from how tight he held them. Brian glared at Paul the entire rehearsal. 

    “Can I talk to you, Fred?” Roger whispered. “Alone?” Freddie nodded and turned back to the piano. Brian and John left as soon as they were done, followed by the rest of the staff. Paul hung around by the door, watching Freddie like a hawk. 

    “Go on, Paul. I’ll catch up.” Paul hesitated for a moment to glare at Roger before leaving the room. Roger watched Freddie for a moment. He kept messing with his shirt collar, an odd thing for him to be wearing in the first place. 

    Roger tapped the seat beside him. “So what’s this thing with Paul?”

    Freddie shrugged. “Don’t worry about it, Roger,” he replied, again fiddling with his collar. Roger rolled his eyes and tugged it down. 

    “ _ Oh, _ ” he murmured. “Freddie…”

    Freddie pulled his collar back up, covering the dark red mark and the vague stench of  _ Paul _ . “It’s none of your business, Roger.”

    “Yeah, it is,” he shot back, standing up. “You’re part of this band and Paul, unfortunately, helps manage us. Whatever you two are up to is our business.”

    Freddie glared. “It’s nothing serious, Rog-” he began, cut off by Roger’s huff. 

    “Nothing serious? That’s almost a  _ bond mark _ , Freddie. What the hell?” Roger broke off before he began yelling. The urge to find Paul and  _ break his goddamn neck _ felt very tempting until he realized how much it would hurt Freddie.

    “I can take care of myself, Rog,” Freddie retorted. “I know how to be careful, and I don’t you or any other alpha trying to control me!.”

    Roger watched Freddie stand up then and storm out of the room, presumably to find Paul and whatever cave he was hiding in. He waited until he knew everyone was gone to find his own car and drive home. 

    He would do something about Paul before it blew up in Freddie’s face. 

 


	7. Crazy Little Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for checking in, Paul's still a piece of garbage. But guess who arrives in the next chapter? (Hint: it's our boy) Also, Roger is really about to absolutely end Paul.  
> I might do a one-shot of Brian's wedding later or something. What do you guys think?

    Queen’s next tour of America was slightly awkward. Brian was on edge the entire time, his first time away from Chrissie since they’d gotten married, and Roger fought against that energy. Paul was practically attached to Freddie when he wasn’t on stage and was watching him when he wasn’t.

    John was really beginning to feel like he was the only sane one. 

    It wasn’t until Roger ended up in a fight with Paul when Freddie was gone that he lost his patience. Paul left, holding his arm at an odd angle and his eyes beginning to blacken, minor injuries compared to most alpha fights. Freddie didn’t show up again until the next concert, a healing Paul in tow as usual. 

    John found Brian at the back of their tour bus after that concert. “That was a load of trash.” Brian nodded, glancing out to make sure the others were gone. 

    “If I could get rid of Paul without pissing Freddie off, I would, Deacy,” he muttered. “He’s supposed to do the managing of the band, not ripping it apart.”

    John snorted. “The only managing he’s doing is of Freddie. We’re chopped liver next to him.” Brian laughed, but it seemed half-hearted at best, tapering off into a sigh. 

    “I’m worried about Freddie. I don’t think he knows how bad Paul  _ is _ .” John shrugged, leaning back. 

    “Then we find a way to get rid of him before he hurts Freddie or actually rips this band apart,” he replied, an oddly calm beta tone considering his threat. Brian nodded in agreement. Roger and Freddie weren’t going to be much help, so it seemed up to them to fix everything. 

-

    Mary was beginning to get worried. She hadn’t seen Freddie in days, much less heard from him. She looked out her window to turn her lamp on in case Freddie saw it and instead saw a party in full swing. People were spilling out of the house and into the yard. 

    Inside the house John Reid wandered around. He’d been to wild parties before, but these guests were a different kind of weird. The band was somewhere. He’d seen Brian’s hair above the crowd for a second at one point. 

    A cheer sounded from behind him. Reid turned just in time to see Freddie walking down his stairs, clad in royal garb and shadowed by Paul. The omega grinned and darted forwards towards him. 

    “Marvelous, Fred! You’ve outdone yourself.” 

    Freddie grinned. “Thank you, John. I'm so glad you love it! They say money can't buy happiness, darlings!” Paul handed him something which Freddie immediately threw towards people. “But it does allow you to give it away!”

    Reid watched Paul shove through the crowd to return to Freddie. “I see you and Paul are getting along quite well,” he observed. Paul, following closely behind Freddie, glared daggers at anyone who came close. 

_ That’s new. _ Reid pushed the thought away. It was probably nothing. 

    Freddie shrugged. “He’s Trixie now, because he’s always up to something.”

    They found the rest of the band, the only ones sitting in the living room, just as Brian said, “So, tell me, Rog… what's the sexiest part of a car?” Roger muttered something to Dominique, a beta, sitting beside him. John looked up when they arrived. Veronica, sitting beside him, smiled. 

    “Well, well, well!”

    Brian laughed, giving a mock bow. “Ah, your majesty!”

    “No, I'm not her majesty! We're her majesty, darlings!” Freddie practically fell onto a seat, some of the drink in his hand flying out onto John. Roger laughed. 

    Paul was the only one left standing, holding a bottle of something. Roger as usual, glared at him, as did Brian. Freddie didn’t seem to notice, glancing up at Paul every so often. 

    “Where’s Mary?”

    Brian winced. “It’s not exactly her scene, is it, Freddie?” He shrugged. Freddie’s grin fell for a split second, back before anyone could realize it had ever gone. 

    Paul stepped forwards to fill Freddie’s glass. He turned the other way when Roger held out his glass. Roger glared at him, muttering something to Dominique. Brian looked between Paul and Freddie for a moment. 

    “You’re starting to look like each other.” Paul rolled his eyes and Freddie rolled his eyes. 

    “What’s wrong with that, Brian?”

    Brian ignored him, leaning closer to Freddie instead. “You're supposed to be in a rock band, Freddie. Not the Village People,” he quipped. Freddie laughed, looking up at Paul for a second. 

    “You might want to think about cutting your hair one day,” he shot back, still grinning. 

    Brian scoffed. “Never. I was born like this.” Chrissie laughed and whispered something to him under her breath. The music changed then and the party atmosphere seemed to shift. Freddie stood, leaning on Paul. 

    “Come on! Let’s dance!”Freddie cheered. Roger muttered something to Dominique. She began to gather their things. 

    “I don’t dance, Freddie,” Brian said. 

    John lifted his drink. “I’ll need a few more of these for that.” Freddie frowned. 

    Freddie stood on his own for a brief moment. “It’s my party, and I demand you dance!” Roger’s growl at Paul’s hand on Freddie’s waist was barely audible. Brian said something to Chrissie. Roger stood up, holding onto Dominique’s wrist, and began walking out. 

    “We’re gonna go, actually.” 

    Freddie frowned. “Oh, God! You're dull. If you were any more dull, you'd be Deacy,” he muttered. Paul snickered, tightening his grip. 

    Roger glanced over at the alpha, narrowing his eyes. “What are you complaining about? You've got your little pet,” he muttered. Freddie looked up at Paul for a moment. 

    “I have… and he's loyal. Loyalty's so important. Don't you think so, Dominique?”

    Roger glared. “Careful, Fred,” he whispered. He muttered, “Let’s go,” to Dominique and pushed past Freddie on his way out. Brian stood with Chrissie and stopped beside Freddie, laying a hand on the omega’s shoulder. 

    “Freddie, sometimes you’re a total prick.” They left then, followed by John and Veronica shortly after. Freddie stared around for a moment until Paul leaned down. 

    Paul scoffed. “Forget them. Come on! Your guests are waiting. They all want a little Mercury in their cup. Come on,” he urged. Freddie nodded after a bit. 

    “Alright.”

    Paul grinned as he watched Freddie climb onto a piano and yell to the gathered crowd. Now that the others were gone, he had Freddie right where he wanted him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thrive on comments, so don't be shy! 😁


	8. Somebody to Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freddie finally meets somebody to love, but he may be in more danger than he realizes. 
> 
> -
> 
> Our boy is finally here! Get wrecked, Paul. I was going to have him appear in the last chapter, but it got longer than I expected, so he’s here now. Yay for Jim!  
> Sorry about the wait, school really got in the way and now I joined tennis club, so there's less time. Hope you enjoy this! Let me know what you think!

    The party had long wound down. Freddie wasn’t sure where people had gone or where Paul had disappeared to, but most of the alcohol’s buzz had worn off. A few waiters stood around, picking up the trash left behind. Freddie absent-mindedly played a chord to distract himself from the intense mixture of scents. Those of the party guests had dissipated for the most part, leaving a mix of beta and omega, those who usually worked as servers.

    One walked closer to Freddie, reaching up to grab a feather boa on the chandelier. Freddie paused. The alpha scent was painfully obvious in his still slightly drunk state, or maybe it was that he was due for a heat within the week and his senses went into overdrive. Whatever it was, it struck him as odd that an alpha would be working that sort of job, of all things. 

    He had wandered closer while Freddie was thinking, now standing just within arm’s reach. Freddie reached out and grabbed whatever was within reach, grinning when the alpha spun around. Freddie let a hint of cloying omega scent out, something Paul would  _ definitely  _ get pissed about. 

    “You've got a set of balls.”

    Freddie shrugged. “Go fetch me a drink and find out.” The alpha rolled his eyes, picking up the empty glasses. 

    “I may work for you tonight. but put your hands on me again, and I'll thump you.” He stepped back. “Got it?” Freddie stared at him for a moment, frozen still in shock. No one had ever really spoken back to him like that, and something about it was interesting. People rarely spoke like that once they knew who he was. Did this alpha not recognize him?

    “I'm terribly sorry.  I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry,” Freddie stammered. “I won't do that again, all right? Let me get you a beer.”

    He paused at the door for a moment, then turned back to Freddie. “I wouldn’t mind a beer.”

    Freddie laughed. “Can you just tell me where we keep them? I have no clue where anything is anymore in this bloody house.” The other man smiled, and something began fluttering in Freddie’s stomach. “You’re very handsome. I love a man in uniform.”

    The man’s smile widened, becoming a soft warm thing. “So do I,” he confided. 

-

    “So, all your friends have left you alone.”

    Freddie swirled the drink left in his cup for a moment. “They're not my friends. Not really. Just distraction,” he murmured, frowning. The alpha shifted closer on the couch. 

    “From what?”

    Freddie shrugged. “The in-between moments, I suppose. I find them intolerable. All of the… darkness you thought you left behind comes creeping back in.” To his surprise, the man nodded. 

    “I know what you mean.”

    “Really?” Freddie glanced up. “What is it that you do with them?

    He smiled once again and  _ oh that’s dangerous. _ “Spend them with real friends. You look like you could use a friend.” 

    Freddie knew that he shouldn’t have, that Paul would probably be angry with him, but something told him that this man was worth it. 

    He didn’t lean away, but instead leaned into the alpha’s hand on his cheek. He only had to minutely glance down at Freddie’s lips for the omega to lean in. Freddie felt him smile into the kiss and push slightly forwards. 

    “I like you,” Freddie breathed. 

    The man gazed at him for a moment, still wearing that dangerous smile. “I like you, too, Freddie. Come and find me when you decide you like yourself.” He stood, grabbing his jacket, and began to walk away. 

    Freddie leaned forwards, almost spilling his drink. “Can I have your name at least?”

    The man smiled. “It's Jim Hutton.”

    “Good night, Jim,” Freddie whispered, smiling contentedly. 

    “Good night, Freddie.” Jim glanced at his watch. “Or should I say good morning?”

    Freddie’s laugh followed Jim out of the house, through the sleeping city, and even to his apartment. He found it very difficult to sleep that night between the laugh and the omega’s tempting scent clinging to him. 

-

    Paul didn’t return until the next day, disheveled and clearly hungover. Freddie avoided him, to his surprise, pushing him away if he got close. He first thought the omega was hungover, that he needed some time to recover. 

    Then Paul caught a whiff that screamed  _ alpha _ , more than should have been there from brushing up against one or two at a party. It broadcasted a message of  _ mine now _ that raised his hackles. 

    “Meet anyone interesting at the party?” he asked, trying to keep his calm. Freddie shrugged. 

    “A few new people. No one you’d know,” Freddie muttered. 

    Paul threw his glass and stomped up to him. “You damn  _ liar, _ ” he growled, shoving Freddie against the wall, an arm pressed against his neck. Now the other alpha’s stench was stronger, still frustratingly unfamiliar. Freddie pushed back against him, snarling despite the smell of fear around him. 

    “It’s none of your fucking business, Paul.” Freddie jerked his knee up, barely hitting Paul’s elbow. The alpha’s grip loosened just enough for Freddie to slip away. 

    “Get back here. How  _ dare _ you be with some other alpha? You don't get to whore around just because I’m not in the goddamn room!” he yelled. Freddie winced. 

    “You don’t own me, Paul,” he shot back. “You never will, either. I’m  _ allowed _ to talk to other people.”

    Paul started after him. “ _ Get back here _ .”

    Freddie paused at the door, glancing back. “And for your information, he treated me like an actual human being. I quite like him, you know.” He left with that, slamming the door behind him. Paul kept yelling even after Freddie had disappeared. He knew Freddie would come back eventually. 

-

    Mary answered the door after his first knock. She took one look at Freddie, standing on her doorstep with a faint purple color to his neck, and stood back to let him in. 

    “Freddie? Is something wrong?”

    He shrugged. “Paul’s being insufferable again,” Freddie muttered. Mary sighed and pulled him into a hug.

    “Are you sure that’s it? One of us can help if there’s something wrong, Freddie,” she murmured. “You know Roger’s waiting for a chance to fight him.”

    Freddie chuckled. “I know, darling. I’m fine.”

    She led him to the spare bedroom then, leaving only once he was in bed. 

    Something was  _ definitely _ wrong with Freddie. Mary had a sinking feeling Paul had almost everything to do with it. 


	9. Put You Back Into Your Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somebody needs to do something about Paul, Brian is beginning to lose patience, and ROger is going to fight someone soon.

    Brian stopped his pacing across the studio, listening for a moment to the conversation behind him. Roger said something about a boat, and Dominique and Chrissie joined in. John sat on the small couch with Veronica talking about  _ something _ . 

    Freddie, as was becoming the norm, was absent again as he’d been since the party.

    “Screw him,” Brian muttered, spinning towards the band. “Everyone up on the drum risers! Up on the drum risers. Come on!” He took Chrissie’s hand and pulled her up, smiling. “Thank you, Chrissie. Showing some enthusiasm.”

    “Wives and everyone, Brian?” 

    John stood up. “Yes! Come on, John. Everyone. I'm not waiting any longer. Let's go. Get up.” Brian waved them towards the risers. 

    “Bass?” John asked, making a gesture as if he was holding it. 

    “No, you don't need it. Get up. Come on, Rog, take your time,” he muttered. The other alpha, mature as always, stuck his tongue out at Brian. 

    Roger rolled his eyes. “All right, Brian. What’s all this about? We’re not all here.”

    “You remember our last concert? The crowd were singing our songs back to us. I mean, it was deafening, but it was wonderful,” Brian explained. “They're becoming a part of our show. I want to encourage that, so… 

    “I've got an idea to involve them a little bit more. Let's start with this. Stamp to this beat.” He stomped twice, pausing on the third beat. Roger and John looked at him like he’d grown a second head. 

    John rolled his eyes, his expression deadpan. “Genius.” Roger snorted. 

    “Thank you, John. Now come on. Just do it.”

    Roger began stomping, albeit goofily, but it was something. John sighed and joined the beat. 

    Brian smiled. “Now, if you can just clap on the third beat.” He darted over to the piano, tapping out a chord. “Don’t speed up. Roger, keep that time.”

    As if he’d been there the entire time, Freddie stepped forwards. “What’s all this? Why aren’t any of you playing your instruments?”

    “No Prenter? It’s unusual to see you without your clone,” Brian quipped. Oddly, Freddie avoided his eyes for a moment at Printer's name. 

    “It’s unusual seeing you being so bitchy,” Freddie retorted. John laughed at that. Roger muttered, “It’s usually me,” under his breath. 

    The beat fell apart behind them, dissolving into laughs. 

    “What’s going on?”

    Roger shrugged. “You’d know if you were actually on time for once, Freddie.”

    The omega rolled his eyes. “I’m a performer, darling, not a Swiss train conductor.”

    Brian sighed. “The audiences have started singing our songs back to us, and I want to give them a song of their own that they can perform by themselves, be part of our band. So what can they do?” He began the rhythm again, the others joining in behind him. Freddie watched it for a moment and joined in with a smile. “Just imagine thousands of people doing this in unison, Fred. All together, just this simple rhythm.”

    “Well? What’s the lyric?”

-

    Roger watched with a smile as the crowd stomped along, insanely well coordinated. They stopped just after the song ended, laughing with each other. Freddie walked along the edge of the stage, grinning. 

    “I feel like taking a bite of the Big Apple.” The crowd cheered. “Now who wants to take a bite out of me?”

    Roger rolled his eyes. Freddie laughed and walked to the corner of the stage. 

    “Alright, play with me now.”

    Brian glanced back. “ _ What’s he doing?” _ Roger only shrugged. 

    “Eh-oh!”

    The crowd sang back, “ _ Eh-Oh! _ ” John turned to them, smiling. Roger laughed as the game continued. 

-

    John Reid watched the band mingle during the after-party. “Never seen anyone interact with a crowd like that in my life. It’s insane, the power he has over people.”

    Paul nodded, his eyes glued on Freddie. “Bigger than any band, don’t you think?” Reid turned to him, an eyebrow raised. “I mean Queen, how long can that last?” Reid turned to watch Freddie walking through the party. 

    “Did he say something to you, Paul?”

    “Not… explicitly,” Paul murmured, pulling a paper out of his pocket. “We’ve had an offer from CBS records for a solo deal. It’s a lot of money, and I think it could be a good opportunity.”

    Reid unfolded the paper and whistled. “That’s a very big number.”

    Paul grinned. “That’s a Freddie size number, John. I think you should be the one to present it to him. He’ll take it better that way.”

    “Alright.” Reid put the paper in his pocket just as Miami approached them, drink in hand. 

    “Quite a spectacle, wasn’t it? That thing he did.”

    Paul nodded. Reid watched as he followed the omega through the room with his eyes, staying completely still the entire time. 

    He stared as Mary appeared and Freddie spun her around and then as a man walked up to them holding drinks. Paul began pushing his way through the crowd just in time to hear Mary introduce the man as David, her boyfriend and a fellow beta. 

    Freddie glanced down at Mary’s hand and then back up at her. “Where’s your ring?”

    She shifted, shrugging. “I didn’t want to travel this far with something so valuable, you know.” Freddie nodded and stepped minutely back, just as Paul stopped behind him. 

    “Freddie, there are some people here for you to see. You promised you’d say hello,” Paul whispered, gripping his shoulders. Mary seemed to look for something before she promised Freddie to catch up sometime and left with David. Paul moved his hand to Freddie’s hip and pulled him back into the crowd. 

-

    Reid pulled a folded paper out of his pocket once they were in the city. Freddie looked over, still trying to avoid Paul. 

    “Alright, Freddie, listen to this. Do you know who sold 4% of  _ all  _ records purchased last year?” When he didn’t get a response, Reid sighed and kept talking. “Michael Jackson. Not the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson.”

    Freddie rolled his eyes. “And? Why should I care?” 

    “I think you could do even better, Freddie. CBS has given us an offer, two solo albums. It’s a lot of money for you, and I think you should consider it.”

    “No.” Freddie turned his head slightly. “You want to break up the band? My family?”

    Reid sighed. “I’m just pointing out what awaits you if you go solo. An end to your frustrations, perhaps.”

    “My frustrations?”

    “Paul?” Reid tried, receiving only a shrug and an innocent look. 

    “I don’t know what you’re talking about, John,” the alpha replied. He reached a hand out to rest it on Freddie’s knee and glared at Reid. 

    Freddie was still for a moment, watching the city blur past, then raised his hand to press the speaker button. “Pull over. Pull the car over,” he ordered.

    “Yes, sir.”

    The second they stopped Freddie leaned over Reid and opened his car door. “Get out.”

    “What the hell?”

    “Get out of the car, now,” Freddie said, shoving Reid. “You’re fired. Get out!”

    Reid refused to move. “Fired? What the hell are you talking about?”

    “Get out of the damn car. You’re fired. I will not break up my  _ family _ ,” he growled. “Get out of my car. Out, or I’ll kill you!”

    “You’re not thinking clearly, Freddie. You’re high-”

    Freddie shoved Reid again, this time succeeding in almost pushing him out. “Get out, you  _ treacherous piss flap _ .”

    Reid stopped before he left the car, glaring. “You’re firing the wrong snake,” he said with a pointed glare at Paul. “You’ll regret it.”

    “Did you know anything about this?” Freddie murmured. Paul shrugged. 

    “I… warned him against it. Pure greed.” He leaned closer, grabbing Freddie’s hand. “We can manage the band, we don’t need him.”

    Freddie scoffed. “What do you know about what I need?” he muttered. Paul grabbed his chin, turning Freddie towards him. 

    “I know you, Freddie Mercury. I know what it's like… not to belong. A queer Catholic boy from Belfast. You know…” Paul paused a moment, sighing. “I think my father would rather see me dead… than let me be who I am. I'm gonna take care of you now, Freddie. If you'll let me.”

    He pressed ever so slightly closer to the omega, smirking. 

    “Alright,” Freddie whispered, giving Paul all the permission he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured I'd give you guys an extra chapter today since I've pre-written up to most of chapter 12. Remember the last few tags? The next few chapters are a bit angsty, but I promise it works out. Once Paul's gone, that is.


	10. Out of the Doorway the Bullets Rip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The band is beginning to splinter, and something is wrong with Freddie. Roger and Freddie's friendship may not come out unscathed. 
> 
> Short chapter, sorry

    Once again, Freddie had gone off somewhere. Something had happened after their New York concert and Roger decided to be bitchy about it. 

    Brian glared over at John. “We’re a rock and roll band, Deacy. We don’t do  _ disco, _ ” Brian said, sounding as if the last word hurt him. John only shrugged. 

    “It’s not disco.”

    “Then what is it?” Roger shot back. 

    “It’s Queen.”

    An argument was only stopped by the loudspeaker. “So sorry, darlings, lost all track!”

    Roger whipped around as Freddie sauntered into the room. “You  _ fired _ Reid without consulting us! You don’t make decisions for the band!”

    “There’s no use complaining, Rog. It’s done.” Freddie pushed past him and walked over to the table Miami sat at. “Anyways, Miami will manage us. Won’t you, darling?”

    Miami chuckled nervously. “I’ll… think about it.”

    “No.”

    Brian sighed. “Are you high again?”

    Freddie laughed. “Well done, Columbo,” he said. Roger rolled his eyes. 

    “You need to slow down, Fred.”

    “Oh, fuck slowing down. Where’s the fun in that, darling?” Freddie retorted with a grin. John stood up and shoved a paper at him. 

    “Freddie, I don’t care if you’re shitfaced. Just as long as you can sing.”

    Roger huffed. “No, John. I don’t want to play it.”

    “Then I’m all for it,” Freddie muttered. Paul, leaning in the doorway behind them, chuckled. 

    “What’s that supposed to mean, then?”

    Freddie shrugged. “I'm tired of the bloody anthems. I want the energy in the clubs. The bodies, I want to make people move.”

    “You mean disco?

    “Why not?

    “Do you mind pissing off? This is a band discussion,” Brian said, turning to Paul with a glare. 

    Roger waved the page in the air. “Drum loops? Synthesizers?”

    “If you say so.

    “It's not us! This crap is not us!”

    Freddie raised an eyebrow. “Us?”

    “It's not Queen!”

    “Queen is whatever I say it is!” Freddie shouted, his glass almost flying out of his hand. 

    Roger threw the page down at their feet. “Well, you can play your own bloody drums, then,” he shot back. 

    “Fred,” Brian warned. He might as well have not said anything. Freddie bared his teeth and shoved the paper into Roger’s face, pushing him back a few inches. 

    Roger growled. “Okay, let's see how good a boxer you really are!” Freddie dodged the first hit, dropping into a boxing stance, his fists low enough to protect to chest. Brian surged forwards and grabbed Roger around the waist before he could throw his fist again. 

    “Roger, take it easy! Take it easy! Take it easy. All right, Muhammad Ali.” John, sitting on the drum risers, began playing a short riff on his guitar. Brian slowly let Roger go and looked over. “That's… That's quite a cool riff, actually.”

    “Hmm. You wrote that? That's really good.” Freddie smiled, tapping his foot to the beat. Brian stepped back from between Roger and Freddie, still hesitant. 

    “Yes, it will be… if you all can just shut up and play.”

    “He started it,” Roger muttered, crossing his arms.

    Brian rolled his eyes. “Oh, shut up!”

    Paul never moved any closer while they began to rehearse. Roger sent him a few warning glares every so often, every time he noticed Paul looking at Freddie a little too much. Brian nudged him at one point, forcing him to notice he’d been starting to release a cloud of scent, a threat to nearby alphas he directed at Paul. 

    Miami picked up his briefcase and tossed it onto the table, the noise failing to distract the band. “I’ll do it.” He waited a second and cupped his hands like a microphone. “I'll do it.”

    Freddie grinned. 

-

    The tension between Freddie and Roger still hung over the band on their next tour. Something was still off, especially with Freddie. He sat in the back of the tour bus more often than playing Scrabble, claiming to be sick. More than once Brian found him in the bed, curled up with his hands on his stomach. His normal attitude came back briefly for their shows, a facade for the audience, and disappeared once the show was over. 

    Things finally came to a head at the press conference for  _ Hot Space _ . Despite Brian’s best attempts, the hoard of reporters directed every question at Freddie. Someone in the crowd managed to shut them up as a beta woman in the front row leaned forward. 

    “Freddie, could you tell us about the rumors concerning your endotype?” 

    John winced as Freddie shrugged. “Why? I wasn’t aware it was anyone’s business, much less yours.”

    “People aren’t happy about the idea of an omega leading a band. Why has there been no word from you or anyone else about your endotype?”

    “I still don’t see why it should be anyone’s business,” Freddie repeated, flicking cigarette ashes towards the reporters. “I’m just a musical prostitute, my dear. My endotype doesn’t matter.” 

    Roger snorted. 

    The beta remained unphased. “Can you answer my question, please.”

    Freddie leaned back in his chair and shot back, “What’s your name, dear?”

    “Shelley Stern.”

    “Shelley.”

    “Yes?”

    “That thing between your legs, does it bite?” Someone behind her laughed. Brian began tapping his fingers against the table when she repeated her question. 

    “We're here as a courtesy. You know, there's four of us up here,” the alpha said, clearly beginning to lose his patience. 

    Shelley leaned forward again. “What are you afraid of, Freddie?”

    Freddie didn’t answer. Paul moved closer. The reporters continued shouting their questions over one another as Freddie’s head started to spin. Roger watched him start shaking his head as if fighting off something. He shot up a few moments later, shouted  _ something _ , and stormed out with Paul right behind him. 

    There was more going on than Freddie was saying, and Roger knew Paul was a part of it somehow. 


	11. Flyin' too Close to the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things take a turn for the worse, and Freddie must trust Roger to keep his secret. Paul, meanwhile, is beginning to lose his temper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains the two tags at the end referencing the pregnancy, just a fair warning. There's not very much, but it's still there. It gets better soon, I promise.

    Roger woke up in the middle of the night, the quietness of the hotel room somewhat unnerving. Something must have woken him up. There was nothing from Brian’s room on one side of his and Freddie’s on the other. 

    And then a puking sound came from Freddie’s room. 

_ There it is. _

    He trudged out of the room and into the hall, careful to make sure he had his keycard, and knocked on Freddie’s door. No response came. 

    “Fred?” Roger knocked again. “Is something wrong?”

    It took a few more harsh knocks for the door to open, a drained-looking Freddie standing on the other side. 

    “I’m fine, darling. I must have caught a stomach bug from a roadie. One of them is always sick.”

    Roger pushed past him, opened his mouth to say something, and froze at a vague whiff of scent. He distantly remembered it from when Dominique had been pregnant with Rory, not too long ago, and Rufus a few years past. 

    “Freddie… It’s not a stomach bug, is it?”

    The scent, if anything, got stronger. It was a message to protect the omega and what they carried, to make sure no harm came to them. Roger shook his head and stepped slightly back. 

    “It’s not… Rog, I can’t. Not now, not….” Freddie paused for a moment before darting back into the bathroom. 

    “Have you gotten it checked?”

    Freddie stood, wiped his mouth with a towel, and sighed. “No.”

    “Then come on. There’s gotta be somewhere open that won’t leak this.” Freddie shook his head, trudging back to the bed. 

    “It’s fine, Rog. Fuck off and go back to sleep,” he muttered. 

    Roger left the room after a few more minutes of failed attempts at convincing. 

    There was a small bag with three little boxes in it when Freddie woke up the next morning.

-

    Of course, Freddie didn’t say anything to any of them when they returned to London. He did mutter a quick, “You were right,” when Roger passed by him, but nothing else. The four of them had decided to take a month or so off for their families and so Freddie disappeared into his home for the full time. 

    Paul, about two weeks in, left for Ireland for some reason. Roger and Mary took turns on calling Freddie to make sure he was at least alive, even if she didn’t know what was going on. 

    When he didn’t answer for three days straight, Roger took things into his own hands and hopped into his car. It was getting dark by the time he arrived, yet no lights were on inside. 

    The spare key was easy to find, tucked under a flower pot. 

    “Freddie?”

    There was a rustling upstairs, and then Freddie appeared at the top of the staircase. He was wrapped tightly in a blanket. When he got closer. Roger noticed an odd thinness to his face. The scent from before was almost gone. 

    “Freddie, what did you do?”

    The omega looked around for a moment. “I don’t know, but something’s wrong. Something  _ feels _ wrong, Rog.”

    They were in the car a few minutes later, speeding towards a clinic just past the city. It was the usual destination when one of the band or their kids got sick because of their willingness to keep quiet. Freddie leaned against the car window for most of the ride, watching the city pass by him. 

    Freddie assumed Roger had called ahead. The second they walked in, a doctor was waiting at the door to a room. She listened patiently while Freddie explained, quite hesitantly, what had happened. They were left alone while the beta went to check  _ something  _ out for a few minutes. 

    “Alright. I think I know what most likely happened, without further testing that we can’t do of course.”

    Freddie shifted in his seat. “I’ve lost it, haven’t I?” His face fell at her nod, though she maintained a soft smile. Roger winced. 

    “Unfortunately, yes. This is one of those times I wish health ed in schools was a little bit better, because they don’t tell people that this often happens, especially with omega males. First pregnancies are  _ always _ the most difficult. It’s just luck of the draw and it’s not your fault.”

    A pause, and then, “There must have been something.”

    She shrugged. “Drinking and smoking don’t help. I assume this wasn’t meant to happen?”

    “I wasn’t trying, no.”

    “Then,” she said, “there’s not much you could have done. Don’t blame yourself, Freddie. The best I can say is that it must not have been meant to be. Of course, the drinking and smoking should stop in general, but any doctor would say that.” Her attempt at a joke got a half hearted smile, at least. 

    She left soon after promising the news wouldn’t leak. Roger and Freddie sat in silence. 

    “Freddie? We should get going soon.” He only got a slight nod in response. “Fred.”

    Roger rolled his eyes and tugged Freddie around into his arms, letting the omega cry without anyone seeing. “Does  _ he _ know? I’d assume he would what with how much he’s always right fucking there.”

    Freddie nodded. “I think so.” He pulled back, wiped the tears from his face, and stood. “Let’s go.”

    The ride home was rather silent, the traffic low for London. Roger pulled into Freddie’s driveway and watched him trudge towards the door and inside. He waited until a light turned on to start driving home. 

    Roger made a mental note to talk to Mary about visiting Freddie. Maybe he would talk to her about whatever Paul must be doing. She would listen. Nobody else was. 

-

    Paul returned from his trip a week later, earlier than he’d thought. He hadn’t told Freddie he’d be back so soon, but surely his omega would be happy about it. 

    The second he walked into the living room Paul knew something was off. There was a scent of sadness in the air, and Freddie had lost the soft edge to his personal scent. Nevermind that Freddie flinched slightly when he got close. 

    “What did you  _ do _ ?” he barked out. 

    Freddie turned away. “It doesn’t matter,  _ Paul _ . I didn’t do anything.”

    Paul growled. “You  _ lost _ it.” Freddie winced and Paul knew he was right. “What kind of omega are you? Why didn’t you tell me?”

    “Leave me the fuck alone.” 

    With that, Freddie stormed out of the room. Paul ran after him, finding a locked door when he got to the bedroom. 

    “Let me in!”

    There was no response for the rest of the night. No sounds came from the room, not until morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is written up to chapter 16, Live Aid. I'm trying to write as much as I can before state testing and finals. Movie canon ends with ch.16 and after that will be a few chapters until the sequel takes over. A work in coming soon about what would have happened if the pregnancy didn't fail, so keep looking out for that.


	12. You're Trespassing This is Not Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The band finally breaks apart and Freddie is out of their reach. During his time in Munich, Freddie is beginnning to realise that the alpha he thought he could trust may not be good for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 12, aka Paul really needs to fuck off.   
> Knothead is sort of the omegaverse version of a dudebro. There's better definitions online, but all you need to know is that it's bad.

    “Freddie, you in there?” Paul knocked on the bathroom door again. “Freddie? They're here. We can't put this off any longer. Freddie?”

    The band sat downstairs, the first time they’d been together since the last concert. Roger looked up when Freddie walked in, seeming to look him up and down, as if the loss would leave physical marks. 

    “MTV banned our video. The youth of America. We helped give birth to MTV.”

    Brian shrugged. “It's America. They're Puritans in public, perverts in private.

    “I'm never touring in the U.S. again.” Freddie scoffed, walking over to the window. “And I'm the one being blamed for it. Not you, dear… whose idea, I believe, it was to dress up in drag,” he pointed to Roger while he spoke. “And not you. Not even you, who wrote the bloody thing. No.Crazy, cross-dressing Freddie. Freddie the freak. Freddie the fag,” he spat. 

    I'm tired of touring. Aren't you? Album, tour, album, tour. I want to do something different.”

    Brian shook his head. “We're a band. That's what bands do. Album, tour, album, tour.”

    “Well, I need a break. I'm sick of it.”

    John sighed, looking up at the omega. “What are you saying, Freddie?”

    There was no response for a moment until Freddie finished taking a drag of the cigarette. “I've signed a deal with CBS Records.”

    “You've done what?”

    “Without telling us?”

    “What kind of deal?”

    “Look, I'm not saying we won't record or ever tour again,” he explained, turning around. “Queen will go on. But I need to do something different. Do you know what I mean? I need to grow." He turned to John. “What's the song? ‘Fly away’?”

    "Spread my wings and fly away,” John said, looking down. 

    Freddie smiled. "Spread my wings and fly away."

    “A solo album?”

    “Two, actually. Back to back,” Paul added from his corner. 

    Roger whipped around. “Another word out of you and I'll throw you out the bloody window.” The two alphas glared at each other, growling, unnoticed by Freddie. 

    John sighed. “But that's years, Freddie,” he said, still the voice of reason. “I mean… that'll take years.”

    “Ye of little faith.”

    “I don't believe this,” Roger muttered. “How much? What did they pay you? I wanna know how much they paid you-

    “$4 million!” Freddie’s loud reply cut Roger off before he could finish. Brian winced. 

    “That's more than any Queen deal.” John returned to looking down at his feet. 

    Freddie turned, his hands out as if pleading. “Look, the routine is  _ killing _ us. I mean, you must all want a break from all the arguments. I mean, whose song gets on the album, whose song is the single, who wrote what, who gets a bigger slice of the royalties… what's on the B-side, all of it. You must need a break!” Roger clenched his fists. 

    “Freddie, we're a family,” Brian said, glancing up. 

    “No, we're not! We're not a family! You've got families, children, wives.” Freddie’s sudden shouting took them all by surprise. “What have I got?”

    “You've got $4 million. Perhaps you can buy yourself a family,” John muttered. 

    Freddie resolutely turned to the window. “I won't compromise my vision any longer.”

    Roger shook his head with a scoff. “Compromise? Are you joking? You were working at bloody  _ Heathrow _ before we gave you a chance.” He stood, stalking towards the omega. 

    Freddie stormed forwards, pointing his cigarette at Roger. “And without me… you'd be a dentist, drumming 12/8-time blues at the weekend at the  _ Crown and Anchor _ .” He spun to Brian next. “And you. Well, you would be Dr. Brian May, author of a fascinating dissertation on the cosmos… that no one ever reads.” Then to John, shifting to a murmur, “And Deacy, for the life of me… nothing comes to mind.”

     John gave a dry chuckle. “I studied electrical engineering. Does that meet your standard?” the beta retorted. 

    “Perfect.”

    “You just killed Queen,” Roger shot at Freddie as the omega passed by him. 

    Freddie retorted, “Oh, give it a kiss one day. She might wake up.”

   “You need us, Freddie,” Brian said softly. “More than you know.”

    Freddie paused for a second by the door. “I don't need anyone.”

    Paul followed him out after a moment. He moved to reach out to Roger, who shoved him away before he could get close enough. The tension is the room rose briefly for a moment until Paul left, a satisfied smirk plastered onto his face. Roger sent a warning growl after him.

    John shook his head. “Why would he do this?”

    “ _ Paul _ ,” Roger spat. “I’d wager that he’s the one behind this. Freddie knows he needs us, but that fucking  _ knothead _ knows he can’t do anything with us around.”

    Brian shrugged. “There’s not much we can do now. I saw that paper he was holding. They’re going to Munich to record. That’s far enough away.”

    “Let Freddie cool down. If he wants to do this, fine. Paul needs to go if he comes back.” John left with that, followed by the other two a few seconds later. 

-

    If anything, things got worse in Munich. Freddie began to forget what it was like for Paul to be somewhere other than right next to him or hovering around him. The recording of the solo albums went far too slow for Freddie’s liking. 

    He’d noticed that not a single musician Paul hired was an alpha. Paul was the only one ever around other than a few in the groups he brought home too often. Something in him seemed to have snapped after the baby was lost, nevermind how Freddie felt. 

    The days began to drag together, Paul taking care of more and more. He always answered the phone and Freddie stopped caring. 

    “Who was that?”

    Paul shrugged. “No one.” Freddie turned back to the television. He’d thought Miami had been on the other end, but maybe he was imagining things. Paul sat beside him on the couch and tugged him by his shirt collar until he was practically attached to the alpha’s side. 

    “Stop, Paul,” Freddie muttered when Paul’s attentions to his neck got too possessive. “I said to stop.”

    Paul looked almost confused when Freddie shot up from the couch, if not for the dangerous glint in his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

    Freddie would have gotten away if Paul hadn’t grabbed his sleeve just in time. “You know exactly what you were doing. I am  _ not _ your omega and I am not anyone else’s. Stop trying.” He wrenched his sleeve away and stalked back to the bedroom. 

    Paul seemed to back off in the next few weeks. It was relatively calm until he left again for another club, one night when the rain was pouring down. 


	13. Pressure Pushing Down On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Paul finally fucks off.

    Mary had jumped out of the taxi even before it had fully stopped. The beta driving it seemed vaguely surprised, though he stopped driving and waited, just as he had been instructed. Mary ignored him and raced up to the large window in front of her. The house inside was dark, a low lamp giving off a soft light. 

    Then she saw the figure curled up on the couch, using an arm as his pillow. 

    Freddie didn’t move the first time she knocked, and moved slightly the second time. He didn’t get up until she knocked for the fourth time, looking up in confusion. He coughed before stumbling to the door. She got there just as he opened the door up for her. 

    “Oh, Freddie,” she whispered. 

    “Hi.” He stepped back. “Come in.”

    Mary walked past him and gazed around in shock at the cluttered tables. Empty and nearly empty glasses sat everywhere, cigarettes and ashtrays around them, and powder coated a few of them. 

    “Why did you come all this way?”

    She sighed. “I phoned and phoned and you never answered me, and none of the others have heard anything from you either, and I had a terrible dream. Miami even called, but Paul told him you were too busy. Freddie…” she paused, looking around. “You’re working the candle at both ends.”

    The omega smiled half heartedly. “But the glow is so divine.” He noticed her glancing at the clutter. “Being human is a condition that requires a little anesthesia,” he attempted to joke. 

    Mary looked up at him. “Roger told me what happened, Freddie. You can’t do this to yourself, especially after that.” Freddie paled, shaking his head. 

    “No, I have to get these albums done, that’s what’s important. That… that has nothing to do with this, Mary… I miss you.”

    She smiled sadly. “I miss you too, Freddie.”

    “Stay with me, Mary, just until I’m done. Just like we used to, don’t you remember? I need you here with me, Mary.”

    She shook her head, stepping back. “I can’t, Freddie. What about Queen? Jim’s been calling about Live Aid-”

    “What’s Live Aid?”

    “It’s a charity concert for the famine in Ethiopia. Live Aid is the biggest concert that’s ever been or ever will be.”

    Freddie began shaking his head and stepped back. “Perhaps Paul thought it wouldn’t be a good idea, a distraction from my work. That’s what’s important, that I finish this album.” He looked up, and it was only then that she noticed his desperate expression and the marks barely hidden by his collar.

    “Freddie…”

    He stepped closer, smiling, as if it would distract her. “It’s alright, Mary. I just need the love of my life. Stay with me, darling, and I’ll be alright.”

    “I can’t,” she murmured. When he frowned and reached out to her, she blurted out, “I’m pregnant.”

    His betrayed expression made her angry with him and sad for him at the same time, somehow. 

    And then it all fell apart with the noise of a small crowd and the stink of alphas. Mary turned to see Paul standing in the doorway, staring at them. Beside her, Freddie hung his head when the alpha looked over at him.

    “Freddie, sorry we’re late.”

    Mary had never wanted to hit someone more in her life. 

    Paul forced a smile. “Mary! I wish I’d known you coming, I’d have scrubbed the place.”

    “I’m not staying. I- I’ll just leave, then.”

    She rushed out, past the confused group Paul had brought in, and almost out of the door. Freddie made it past Paul before he was grabbed and up to Mary. “You said you had a dream. What was it?”

    “I was trying to talk to you, but… it was like talking to my father. You needed to tell me something… but you couldn't say it,” she paused for a moment and looked up at him. “Because you had no voice.”

    Freddie watched her leave, out into the rain and the waiting car. Paul had appeared behind him at some point. “Freddie, come and say hello to our new guests. They’re dying to meet you.”

    He ran out into the rain before the alpha could stop him, just barely managing to grab the car door before Mary shut it. “I’m happy for you, Mary. Really, I am. I’m just… I’m afraid.”

    “You don’t need to be, Freddie,” she said. “No matter what, you are loved. By me, by Brian, Deaky, Roger… your family. It’s enough, Freddie. They miss you, we all miss you.”

    “Paul-”   
    She shook her head. “These people don’t care about you. Paul doesn’t  _ care about you _ . You’re just another omega to them, but I know you are so much more than that. You don’t belong with people like that, Freddie. Come home,” she finished in a whisper. “Please just come home. I can’t stand to see you like this.”

    Freddie nodded, closed the door, and stepped back. He could barely feel the pelting rain. The sound of the door closing behind someone faded into the background.

     “Get back in here, Freddie. You’ll catch your death,” Paul shouted. 

    “Why didn't you tell me about Live Aid?”

    “The Africa charity gig?” Paul shrugged. “It'll be an embarrassment. I didn't wanna waste your time.”

    Freddie held his hand up. “You should have told me.”

    Paul scoffed. “Of course I did. You just didn’t listen. You never do. Come in now and have a drink.”

    “You're out.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “I want you out of my life, Paul.”

    Paul huffed, stepping forwards. “'Cause I'm the only one left, you're blaming me for everything?”

    “I blame myself.”

    “So I'm out? Just like that?” Paul’s scent of anger was dampened by the rain, though it still raised hairs on the back of Freddie’s neck. “After everything we've been through? Just think of the photos I have,” he threatened. “I know what you are, Freddie Mercury. They won’t let a useless omega lead a band. Not once they know who you are.”

    Freddie shook his head. “You know when you know you've gone rotten? Really rotten? Fruit flies. Dirty little fruit flies. Coming to feast on what's left. Well, there isn't much left for you to feast on anymore.”

    “So, fly off. Do what you like with your photographs and your stories. But promise me one thing. That I never see your face again.” He spared a glance back at the rain-soaked and desperate alpha, who stood with one foot out as if he wanted to run after Freddie,  and walked away. 

    “I didn't mean it. I'm sorry! Freddie, come back! I'll make it better!” Paul shouted after him, though his cries fell on deaf ears. The omega quickly disappeared around the corner, the last time he would see Freddie. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is completely written so I'll be posting the remaining chapters every few days until school ends for me next week. Let me know what you think of this chapter!


	14. In Rain Or Shine You've Stood By Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul is gone, but now the band must pick up the pieces of thir broken friendship in time for the concert of their lives. There may not be time to fix something this destroyed. This concert could bt the only thing able to fix Freddie's reputation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys are back in town and they're still kind of idiots. Absolutely no one is surprised.

    Freddie was torn between watching the interview or throwing the television set out of the window. Paul sat across from the interviewer, playing the victim the whole time while portraying Freddie as the one at fault. The whole damn thing was pitiful. 

    “Why was his endotype never admitted? Surely it would have been better not to hide something like this.”

    Paul shrugged. “I honestly don’t know why he was allowed to lead the band in the first place. Freddie’s always been stubborn, but omegas have a place in society and he just can’t accept that. The others helped hide it, but I’m sure you know the rumours about why they’ve done that.”

    The interviewer nodded. “And what about these stories of the wild parties?”

    “Yeah, they’re true. He got out of control all the time. I mean, genuinely countless lovers, all endotypes as far as I could tell.”

    “So you really did see behind the mask?”

    Paul shrugged. “I knew Freddie when he did Bohemian Rhapsody. And the Freddie we have now… he doesn't have the same passion about music.”

    Freddie threw an empty glass towards the screen. The only thing left on the table was the phone. 

    “Hello? Hello?” The voice seemed about to hang up when Freddie lifted the phone to his face and sighed. 

    “Miami?

    “Freddie?” Miami sounded more relieved than he ever had. “How are you?”

    He paused a moment. “There was… this Africa concert that wants Queen to play. Is that-”

    Miami sighed. “They’ve already announced all the bands, Freddie. It’s too late now.”

    “I need to reconnect with the mothership, Miami. I need to go back to how things were, I fucked up on my own.”

    “They don’t want anything to do with you right now, Freddie. They’re still very upset with you,” he said gently. 

    “If you call them, they will. Please, Jim,” Freddie whispered. “We’re family and… family have fights, sometimes, but they still love each other. Please. Call them. Tell them I just want to talk, nothing more.”

    “Alright,” Miami sighed. “I’ll call, but I can’t promise anything.”

    The interview was still going on after Miami had hung up. “As this friend, somebody who… probably knows Freddie Mercury better than anybody else… how would you describe him inside as a person?”

    “For me, Freddie will always be… this frightened little omega Pakkie boy who's afraid to be alone.”

    “I hope he sees this and realizes what he has lost in you.”

    “I hope he does, too.” Paul smirked, as if he knew it would happen. 

    Freddie scoffed at the interviewers’ next line, “A close and important friend.”

    “Close and important friend, my arse,” Freddie muttered. He turned the set off and tossed the remote. It knocked over a phonebook on the edge of a shelf. Freddie walked over and moved to put it back when a stray piece of paper fluttered out from the end of the ‘H’ section. 

    His gaze was drawn to a long black line drawn along a group of names. 

_ Hutton, Jim. _

    Freddie smiled for what felt like the first time in weeks. “Where are you hiding, darling?” he murmured. “I need a friend right about now.”

-

    Miami’s pen tapping against the desk was the only sound in the office. Freddie looked out into the hallway again, seeing nothing but the same people walking by. 

    “They’re late.”

    The knock at the door came just as Freddie settled back into his seat. He sat forwards as the other three men walked in, first John and then Brian. Roger brought up the back. He looked everywhere in the room except for where Freddie sat and sat in the furthest chair. Freddie’s heart sunk. The alpha seemed perfectly content to ignore him in favor of pretty much anything else. 

    “Hi guys,” Beach began. “If you’d like tea, coffee, bladed weapon…”

    John snorted at the last one. “Thanks, Miami.”

    “Who’s going to start?”

    Freddie sat farther forwards. “I’ll go. I… I know I’ve been terrible and I deserve your fury. I’ve been conceited, selfish… an asshole, basically.”

    “Strong beginning,” Roger muttered. Brian shot him a look. 

    “Look, I’m happy to strip off my shirt and… flagellate myself before you.” He looked up, directly at Roger. “Or rather, I could ask you a simple question.”

    “I’m good with the flagellation.”

    Freddie looked over at Brian and John. “What’s it going to take for you to forgive me? That’s all I want.”

    “I forgive you, Fred, if that’s all you want. Can we go now?” Brian pointed towards the door. 

    “No. I… I went to Munich, hired a bunch of guys to record, and they did it. They all did exactly what they were told to. None of your rewrites,” he looked at Brian, “None of your funny looks-” the beta rolled his eyes. “-No pushback from Roger.” 

    Finally, Roger looked up at him. He seemed about to say something for a moment, but shook his head and looked back down. 

    “Let’s face it,” Freddie finished, “We’re not bad for four aging queens. So go ahead, name your terms.” John smiled. 

    “Can we have a minute, Freddie?” The beta’s voice was calm as always. Freddie stood up and walked out. Roger glanced away as he passed by. 

    Miami appeared in the hallway a moment later. “They’ll be alright, Fred. They just need a bit of time.”

    “I know. I can’t help but worry that I’ve fucked it up for good. How much time would that leave us?”

    Miami shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

    John poked his head out. “You can come back in now, if you’d like.”

    Freddie followed him in and sat back down in his seat. No one spoke until Brian cleared his throat and gave Roger a pointed look. The alphas glared at each other until Roger rolled his eyes and looked up. 

    “We’ve decided… John, what did we decide?”

    “From now on, every song, no matter who wrote it, music, lyrics… it’s by Queen. Not just one of us. Queen. Profits for everything split four ways evenly. Credit goes to all four of us.”

    Freddie nodded. “Done.”

    “We have a problem with the people around you,” Roger began. 

    “Paul’s out. I fired him.”

    John nodded. “On what pretext?”

    Freddie smirked. “Villany.” 

    “We could’ve told you how shit of a person he was, Freddie.” Roger’s remark got a nod from Brian.

    “Maybe I’ll listen next time.” Roger laughed at that. “What else?”

    Miami cleared his throat. “Bob Geldof.” The band turned to him. “I called to convince him to squeeze you guys into the lineup for Live Aid, but he needs an answer now. Every tickets already sold. 100,000 people at Wembley, 100,000 people at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, a global TV audience around the world of 150 countries, 13 satellites. The Olympics only had three.”

    “We haven’t played together in  _ years _ , Miami. It’d be suicide to play again in front of millions,” Roger complained. 

    Brian winced. “Try… 1.5  _ billion _ . ‘Who are these four dinosaurs? Where’s Madonna?’ Of course, that’s if people will listen.”

    “We’ll deal with everything Paul said later.”

    “He had no right to say any of that,” Roger growled. John reached over and muttered something in his ear that at least seemed to stop him from leaving to find Paul. 

    Miami pulled up a paper. “It’ll be a twenty minute set. Everyone gets the same. Jagger, Bowie, Elton, McCartney, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Phil Collins, REO Speedwagon, Bob Dylan.”

    “Certainly good company,” John said. 

    “Anybody who is  _ anybody _ will be performing at this concert. Legacies will be made here, and maybe Freddie’s status as an omega won’t matter so much once they remember how damn well he can sing.” Miami’s voice got slightly louder at the end. 

    Freddie hadn’t moved. “Look. All I know is that if we wake up the day after this concert and we didn't do our part we're going to regret it till the day we die. Please.”

    Brian nodded. “Alright. Let’s knock ‘em dead.”


	15. A Little Piece Of You Is Falling Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The band must deal with the fallout of Paul's damaging words while reporters look for any weakness they can find, now that they know Freddie's omegan status. Roger is going to find Paul and kill him if someone doesn't hold him back when Freddie reveals just how much he was hurt by the omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Live Aid is next chapter (prepare yourself for the cute Jimercury).

    Roger felt more and more like throwing something every second of the press conference. Freddie had already yelled at two reporters who had called him omegan slurs and John ‘accidentally’ spilled his water on one’s papers. Brian’s glare could have killed someone. 

    “Why did you hide your endotype? Isn’t that a betrayal of the trust with your fans?” A reporter in the front row leaned forwards. Roger glared at her. 

    Freddie shrugged. “No one ever asked.”

    “It’s still a very important fact that people deserve to know.”

    “Whatever my endotype is doesn’t change my ability to perform, darling,” he retorted. “You people are the ones who assumed I wasn’t. Not my fault then, is it now?”

    Freddie sat back in his chair with a smirk as the reporter began to splutter. Roger snickered. “Nice one, Fred.”

    Brian rolled his eyes. “Any more questions? We’ve got practicing to get to.”

    “Why was Mr. Prenter's statement made?”

    Freddie froze for a moment. “Freddie, you alright?” Roger whispered, leaning over. The omega nodded a second later. 

    “I fired him because he was failing to do his fucking job and crossed boundaries I’d set. He saw fit to attempt to ruin my career as petty revenge.” 

    “Are you saying there was a relationship between yourself and Mr. Prenter?”

    Freddie hesitated. “That’s nobody’s business.”

    The reporter shrugged. “Both his statement and yours make it seem like  _ something _ was going on. There have been plenty of pictures in the tabloids of you looking drunk or ill.”

    “Which one is it, drunk or ill?” Freddie glared at the reporter. “It’s my own business what goes on in my private life and none of yours.”

    Miami led them out a few minutes later when the questions began turning to Paul and Freddie. Roger glared as he left, one hand on Freddie’s shoulder, John pulling the curtain closed behind them. Brian grimaced, glaring at the curtain. 

    “I hate those  _ idiots _ . No respect at all.”

    “It’s all settled now at least,” Miami attempted to calm them. “Hopefully some of them will take our side. Paul won’t dare to show his face again.”

    John nodded. “That rat knows he’s done. He ruined his own career by trying to ruin Freddie’s.”

    “He shows his face once…” 

    Freddie slumped down into a chair. Roger turned just as he rested his head on his hands. 

    “Fred?”

    The response was muffled, choked by tears. “I should have listened to you about him. I shouldn’t have been so stupid.”

    John frowned, crouching by Freddie. “He had us fooled for a bit there too, Freddie. It’s not your fault.”

   “Deaky’s right. None of us knew how shit of a person he was,” Brian added.

    Roger snorted. “I never liked him.”

    Brian rolled his eyes. “We know, Rog.”

    “Did he hurt you, Freddie?” Miami asked, walking forwards. Freddie turned to the side, his arms crossed across his chest. “Freddie.”

    Roger growled, “I’ll kill him.”

    Freddie shook his head. “It’s fine, Roger. Calm down-”

    “It’s not  _ fine _ , Freddie!” He huffed. “What did he do?”

    Freddie pulled his shirt collar down, glancing away. “It’s nothing, Rog. It just hasn’t gone away yet.”

    “ _ Fuck. _ ”

    Brian moved closer and knelt down to inspect the bruise. He almost couldn’t see it, a vague dark colour against Freddie’s neck. 

    “ _ What. did. he. do?” _

__ Freddie shrugged. “He was just pissed off that I dared to talk to an alpha at that party. The whole thing’s fucking ridiculous.” He raised his arm to his neck in a miming sort of movement. Roger swore again. 

    “He got mad because you  _ talked _ to someone?” Brian shook his head in disbelief. 

    Freddie shrugged. “And kissed him, but that’s it.”

    Roger huffed. “What the hell kind of person does that? I swear-”

    John rolled his eyes. “He’s gone now, at least. Let’s just… leave all that behind and focus on Live Aid. Okay?”

    “What about that alpha? Was he decent?” Freddie laughed at Roger’s sudden curiosity. 

    “His name is Jim and he was very nice, actually,” Freddie explained. “I haven’t been able to find him yet. Bloody git didn’t tell me anything else.”

    “He better be,” Roger muttered. Brian gave him a shove, rolling his eyes. 

    Miami smiled. “Alright. You boys should get to the studio and practice. It’s not long till Live AId.”

    The group snuck out of the back door, away from press, and into a waiting car. It rushed through the city to the building they’d decided to use for rehearsals. Its high ceilings were almost as high as the Wembley stage, the sound balance and echo better than their usual studio. 

    It was closer to a favorite bar of theirs, anyways. 

    “Let’s call it, yeah?” John called out after Freddie’s voice strained again. “That’s good for today.”

    Freddie nodded, rubbing his throat. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I sound like shit. You’re all lovely, you sound good.”

    “You’re fine, Fred,” Brian said, smiling. “We’re on track.”

    “Yeah. You’ve got time.”

    Freddie smiled, glancing down for a second. “Now, you give me a chance to get my bitchy little vocal cords in order and we'll go and punch a hole through the roof of that stadium.”

    “Actually, Wembley doesn't have a roof,” John added. The other three laughed, rolling their eyes at each other. 

    “All right.”

    Brian shrugged. “No, he's right. It doesn't.”

    “Then we'll punch a hole in the sky,” Freddie said. Roger grinned as he made a punching action in the air. Brian rolled his eyes. 

    John laughed. “Let’s go get some drinks, yeah?”

    Roger paused by Freddie. “You’re a legend, Fred.”

    “You’re bloody right, I am.” Freddie looked around at them, smiling warmly. “We’re all legends.”

    They had just made it out of the door when Freddie added, “But you’re right, I am a legend.”

    “Very humble, Fred.”

    Freddie grinned. “Thank you, Deaky.”

    John bowed. Roger rolled his eyes as he opened the car door and slid in. The four of them crammed into the seat that really wasn’t made to seat four people, squeezing in together as they always had. 

    Brian laughed as the other three began fighting over the radio station. Yeah, things were back to normal again. 


	16. Find Me Somebody To Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Live Aid has arrived. This one concert could make or break their career. Freddie's not alone anymore, however. He may have finally found somebody he can trust with his damaged heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our boy is back! Also, Live Aid and a very awkward meeting-his-parents situation. Poor Jim 😂

_ It's 12:00 noon in London. 7:00 a.m. in Philadelphia. And around the world, it's time for Live Aid. _

    The morning of July thirteenth dawned bright and early. Freddie was woken by one of the cats, or perhaps all of them, racing across his chest and launching themselves off of him. Delilah sat innocently at his feet, looking for all the world like she had never done anything wrong. 

    “You told them to do it, didn’t you?” Freddie muttered. She meowed back and jumped down. 

   The car arrived just as he finished eating his breakfast and shooing the cats away from it. He handed a scrap of paper to the driver as he passed. 

    “Head here first, please. There’s someone I need to see,” he ordered. The driver nodded. The car ride was smooth until they entered a part of town he’d never been to before. It wasn’t bad, the sort of place Freddie would expect to find the alpha in. They stopped outside of a row of rather plain houses and Freddie stepped out once the door was opened. 

    The car door was closed again behind him as he walked up to the door and knocked. No one answered for a moment. The vague shape of a man appeared from around a corner, setting the damn butterflies loose in Freddie’s stomach again. 

    They seemed to stop flapping around when the door opened and Jim poked his head out. “Freddie?”

    “Do you have any idea how many Jim Hutton’s there are in London?” Jim smiled, looking down for a moment. It took all of Freddie’s (very limited) self-control to keep himself relatively calm. 

    “It’s under Seamus, actually. I didn’t want to make it too easy for you.”

    Freddie laughed. “It would’ve been nice if you’d told me that. I could really use a friend right about now, you know?” Jim nodded, looking up with that warm smile that started the butterflies all over again. Freddie had to stop himself from letting out the scent his brain demanded. It really wasn’t needed. Not with Jim. 

    “How have you been, Freddie?”

    “A bit lost, to be honest,” he said, voice dropping almost to a whisper. “I’m sure you saw the shit Paul put me through.”

    Jim nodded. “Yeah. Been a shitstorm, hasn’t it?”

    “That’s an understatement. It’s been terrible.” Freddie stepped forwards. “Would you like to have tea with me?”

    “Tea?”

-

    The atmosphere was awkward, to say the least. Kashmira had started talking to Jim when they arrived. She’d always been the first one to bridge a gap with the family, being the only beta. Bomi usually swung from listening to his omegan son or ignoring him completely, a classic old-fashioned alpha. 

    Kashmira smiled at the two. “So, how do you to know each other?”

    “Do you…” Bomi hesitated for a moment. “...work together?”

    Freddie reached over to grasp Jim’s hand in his, waiting until the alpha squeezed his hand back. “Jim’s my friend.” Their gesture didn’t go unnoticed. 

    “Wonderful to have friends,” Jer added. The silence had gone on for a second too long. Freddie squeezed Jim’s hand once more before he let it go and stood up. Jim handed him his jacket, putting on his own. “Where are you going? You’ve just got here.”

    “We've gotta get to Wembley. Would you believe it? Jim's never been to a rock concert.”

    Jim nodded. “That's true. Never been to one.”

    Kashmira smiled at her brother, then turned to her parents. “Queen are playing at Live Aid.”

    “We're all doing our bit for the starving children in Africa, and nobody's taking any money. Good thoughts, good words, good deeds.” Freddie stepped closer to his father. “Just like you taught me, Papa.”

    “Love you,  _ beta. _ ” Jer waved, smiling warmly. 

    “Bye, Kash. Love you, too, Mama. In fact… I'll blow you a kiss when I'm on stage.” Freddie put a hand on Jim’s back and led him out, sparing a glance back before they stepped out to the car. 

    Bomi turned to his daughter. “Kashi… put on the telly.”

-

    Roger turned to the others. “They’re here, finally.”

    Freddie hopped up into the trailer, tugging a man behind him. Roger scented the alpha’s smell the second he sheepishly followed Freddie in. John stood to shake his hand and Roger forced himself to relax. This alpha couldn’t be a threat if John seemed alright with him. Freddie was looking up at him with such a  _ smitten _ look that Roger couldn’t have done anything. 

    “Are you going to introduce us to your friend, Fred?” Brian said as he stood up. 

    Freddie tugged the man forwards. “This is Jim Hutton. Jim, this is Roger, Brian, and Deaky.”

    “John,” the beta added. Freddie rolled his eyes. 

    Roger paused as a sense of understanding came over him. “Is this the same Jim you were telling us about?”

    “The other day? Yeah.”

    Jim looked confused until Freddie sat and pulled him down. “Just something we were talking about the other day, darling. Don’t worry about it.” He was stopped from responding by a knock on the door and Brian standing to open it. 

    “Hello, Mary.” Freddie shot up. 

    “Hi, Brian. We just thought we’d come by to wish you good luck.”

    Freddie shoved his way into the doorway. “Hello, my love.”

    “Hi.”

    “Mary, David, this is Jim.” Freddie grabbed Jim’s hand again. “Jim, Mary and David.”

    Jim reached his free hand out to Mary. “Hello.”

    “I’ll see you after, Mary.” The two betas left with a wave, towards the stage. Freddie turned to Jim, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. “Go on. You won’t be able to see anything from here. Join them.”

    Jim hopped down and left, but not before tugging Freddie down to kiss him properly. Freddie melted for a moment in his grasp until John cleared his throat, holding up the bass, and Jim followed after Mary and David. 

    The three of them saw Queen pass by a moment later, Brian and John tuning as they went, Roger tapping everything with his drumsticks. Freddie shot a blindingly bright grin at Jim before he turned back to the curtain. 

    “ _ Her Majesty, Queen! _ ”

    The crowd began cheering even louder the moment Freddie played the first note and Jim had to agree with them. They were tucked away in a corner of the stage and yet it felt as if they were in the crowd, its infectious energy filling the entire space. 

    As he watched Freddie perform, racing about the stage, only one thought filled his mind. 

_ That’s my man. _

    Mary whispered, “Wow,” and Jim nodded. He had no words left. 

    All of the fuss that had been kicked up when Freddie was revealed as an omega seemed to have been shoved under the rug, or perhaps off a cliff would be more correct. The crowd cheered just as loud as they ever had at any concert before. 

    The crowd quieted down, though not by much, when Freddie sat down for  _ We Are The Champions _ . The song ended to ear-bursting applause, Roger all but flying out of his drum set to join Brian at the front of the stage. John stepped closer to the rest of the group, shy as ever, just behind Freddie. 

    “Jim, darling!” Freddie shouted the second the curtain closed behind him. He ran over, the rest of the band following behind. 

    “Hello, Freddie.” He caught the omega in his arms, stepping back to avoid both of them falling. “The show was amazing. You’re amazing.”

    Freddie grinned, just barely blushing. “Thank you, Jim. We’re all going somewhere for dinner, would you like to come with?” He nodded blindly, allowing himself to be dragged away by Freddie. 

    Oh, he was  _ so _ in love. 


	17. My Heart Makes a Fool of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim realizes something surprising and Garden Lodge is beginning to grow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These last two chapters are nothing but fluff that may give you diabetes. Just a fair warning.

    Sitting at the kitchen counter of Garden Lodge beside Freddie, Jim came to a sudden realization.

    He practically  _ lived _ with Freddie now. Looking around, he saw most of his things scattered about the place. One of his shirts was currently on the omega, as if was meant to be there. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually slept at his own house. 

    Live Aid was only a few months passed and yet so much had changed. 

    “Darling, are you alright?”

    Jim smiled, looking back down at his coffee. “I’m fine, Freddie. Just thinking.”

    Freddie seemed to inspect his face for a moment before he shrugged and looked around. “Christmas is soon. I should have the decorations brought down from the attic.”

    “Freddie, November only just started. I, um, wanted to talk about the holidays, anyhow.”

    “Is something going on?” The omega leaned slightly away, an almost terrified look dawning over his face. “Jim-”

     “No, it’s alright.” He shifted closer, grabbing Freddie’s hands in his own. “There’s just some things I wanted to talk about.”

    Freddie stood and gathered their cups. He returned from the kitchen a few minutes later, tightly gripping two new cups of tea. “Okay. I’m listening.”

    Jim chuckled softly, cupping Freddie’s cheek in his hand. “Relax, Freddie. It’s nothing bad.” The omega shot him a look at the calming scents he was letting out. “I got a notice from my landlady that my lease runs out next month. My stuff is all over the place here, so…”

    Freddie instantly brightened. “You could move in here then, darling! This house is far too big for just myself and the cats, anyhow.” Goliath hopped up into Jim’s lap and glared up as if daring him to try to leave. The other cats glanced over at him, watching for a moment and then looking away. 

    “I’d like that.”

    And how could he say no, what with Freddie looking at him like that and the cats beginning to crowd around him?

-

    Kashmira carried the final box into Garden Lodge a week later. 

    “I could have gotten that,” Freddie complained from behind her. Jim laughed, tugging Freddie closer to him. 

    “It’s free labor, don’t complain.”

    Freddie turned and glared the best he could in the alpha’s arms. Kashmira rolled her eyes and muttered something like, “You two are disgusting.”

    “They’re disgustingly adorable,” Roger added as he took the box from her. “I’m going to puke soon.”

    Kashmira smiled. “Let them be. It’ll wear off eventually, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this happy.” They both turned back to find the pair murmuring to each other, Freddie with his arms around Jim’s neck and hanging off of him. 

    “Neither have I,” Roger replied. “Not since before Paul showed up.” 

    “I wish I could have done something about him,” the beta said, sighing. “None of us saw him very often with the tours and recording so much.”

    Roger shrugged. “We can make sure he doesn’t get hurt this time. Jim makes one wrong move and he’s out.”

    “I don’t think he will,” Kashmira whispered, smiling when Freddie pulled Jim along behind him. 

    “I hope you two aren’t gossiping about us,” Freddie said. Jim laughed. 

    “Relax, Fred.” Roger began to walk back inside. “Let’s go eat before I go crazy. Brian, Deaky! Move your asses, let’s go!” he shouted up the stairs. The two men appeared a moment later, grumbling. 

-

    Freddie shoved a box off of their bed ( _ their _ bed!) and rolled over. He could just barely see Jim in the bathroom, digging through a box to find his razor. The counter was covered in his bathroom supplies that he’d brought over. 

    “Having any luck?”

    Jim sighed, tossing something aside. “Everything but the razor. I know I packed it yesterday.”

    Freddie sat up, watched the alpha scrounge around for a moment, stood, and walked over. Jim glanced backwards when Freddie slipped his own arms around his waist, pressing his chest to Jim’s back. 

    “Stop worrying, darling,” Freddie whispered. “Didn’t you leave one here?”

    Jim shook his head, laughing. “I’m a right idiot.” He reached into the cabinet above the sink and pulled a razor out. Freddie rested his head on Jim’s shoulder. 

    “You’re  _ my _ idiot.”

   Jim smiled softly. “Yeah, I am.”

    Freddie shoved four of the cats away from the middle of the bed, Delilah glaring at the omega and moving to sit on his pillow instead. The others settled around Freddie and Jim once they’d laid down, forming a protective cocoon of sorts. Jim absentmindedly began to pet the nearest, Miko. 

    “They seem to like you,” Freddie whispered. “I’m glad.”

    “Really?”

    Freddie grinned mischievously. “Of course. I’d have to get rid of you if they didn’t,” he joked. Jim rolled his eyes and pulled Freddie to his chest, upsetting a few of the cats. Goliath in particular seemed affronted. 

    “You love me too much for that.”

    A sudden softness came into Freddie’s gaze then, accompanied by a warm smile. “I suppose I do. I might just have to keep you.”

-

    It was during a recording session for  _ A Kind Of Magic _ that John turned to Freddie when the omega was caught watching Jim talk to Miami instead of singing. 

    “He’s good to you then, isn’t he?” At Freddie’s confusion, John gestured over to the alpha. “That look you’ve got. It’s nice. Better than before.”

    Freddie shrugged with a smile. “He is, Deaky. I suppose you three approve of him?”

    “If he makes you smile like that, yeah, we’re alright with him,” he said, turning serious a moment later. “If he does one thing wrong or hurts you, which I don’t think he will, but please tell us. We care about you, Fred. There’d be no Queen without you, anyhow.”

    There was really nothing Freddie could say other than a soft, “Thanks, Deaky.”

    Jim glanced over through the glass and waved. Freddie waved back, smiling wistfully. Miami caught the exchange and rolled his eyes, despite the smile, at the two. 

    “Alright, take it from the top. That was great, boys,” he called over the loudspeaker. The four replaced their headphones, John and Brian lifted their instruments, and Roger tapped his drumsticks together. 

    “One, Two, One Two Three Four!” Roger shouted. 

    Freddie’s eyes stayed on Jim throughout the song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter left after this 😭  
> I was thinking of doing a q+a at the end, so comment any questions for the characters or me and I'll answer them either here or on Tumblr. Comments will be open for two weeks.


	18. Till The End Of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as one chapter ends, a brand new one begins. Things are changing in Garden Lodge.

    When Freddie left for the Magic tour Jim decided to stay behind at Garden Lodge. Joe and Phoebe left with the band, meaning Jim was alone in the overlarge house with the cats as his only company.

    Delilah began hissing at Jim or anyone else if they approached Freddie’s chair. The rest of the cats spent more and more time outside until the only time Jim saw them was when they were fed. Delilah appeared from wherever she’d been hiding when he called Freddie, as if she could hear his voice anywhere. 

    “When will you be home, Freddie?”

    The noises of a raucous party dimmed slightly. “A week, darling. Why? Are you wasting away without me?” the omega teased. 

    “I miss you. The cats are going to begin a coup any day now.” Freddie laughed. “I’m starting to fear for my life at night.”

    “Tell them I’ll be back soon, okay darling?”

    Jim sighed. “Alright.”

-

    Freddie stormed into the room and threw the newspaper into the corner. The cats scattered when he fell onto the bed and curled up. 

    Jim found him there a few minutes later. “Freddie? Tell me what’s going on.”

    “This,” Freddie pointed at the paper, “ _ bullshit _ . I knew they would say that.” His voice broke a little at the end. Jim sat beside him and began running his hand through Freddie’s hair. 

    “What are they saying?”

    Freddie sat up after a moment, glared at the paper, and turned to Jim. “That I’ve always been ‘unruly’ and it’s good I’ve found an alpha to settle down with. It’s bullshit, the way they’re treating me! I  _ hate _ this stupid way they insist on treating omegas as if we’re just property.”

    “It’s alright, Freddie,” Jim murmured. “Their opinion shouldn’t matter as long as you don’t see this that way. Do you?”

    “Of course not,” the omega said, shaking his head. “I’m not with you because I think I ‘need’ an alpha or because people would prefer it. Fuck everybody else.”

    Jim smiled, soft and comforting. “Good. People seem to think I’m with you because of money. I wish they could see us, you know?”

    Freddie laughed. “Paul was like that, there for the money and the fame. You, my darling, most definitely are not. That’s one of my favourite things about you. You don’t need any of that.”

    Delilah yowled from downstairs, absolutely shattering the moment. Both men laughed until the other cats joined in the noise and Freddie stood to go downstairs and feed them. Jim caught his wrist as he also stood, pulling the omega into a quick kiss, holding Freddie’s face in his hands for a moment after. 

    “I love you, Freddie,” he whispered. 

    “Oh.” Jim had never said  _ that _ before. Then, after a few seconds, “I love you too, darling. Did something bring this on?”

    Jim shrugged. “Not really. I just love it when you get angry at people like that, when they deserve it.”

    “They’re assholes,” Freddie muttered. “Let’s go feed the cats before they start eating us, alright?” Jim laughed and followed him downstairs. 

    Yeah, things were pretty alright. 

-

    Garden Lodge soon filled up when Phoebe Freestone and Joe Fanelli finally moved in, each bringing plenty of stuff and noise with them. Their stuff grew from the small amount they’d brought temporarily into full rooms of belongings. The cats glared and stalked around the two new men until Delilah decided to sit on Phoebe's lap. The animosity disappeared overnight. The two never seemed to be a threat then, both being betas. 

    There was never any problem with Joe after he gave the cats pieces of chicken one day. He never got them to leave him alone while he was cooking after that. 

    Both of them could be _ damn _ secretive if they wanted to. Freddie found the two of them hiding out in the kitchen one day when Jim was nowhere to be found. Joe whipped around the second he noticed the omega, hurriedly pretending to prepare something for the night’s dinner. 

    “What’s going on, darlings?” The betas exchanged a glance, something warning in Joe’s eyes. Phoebe shifted, looking away. 

    “A couple friends invited us out tonight, so I’m making dinner for you two while we’re gone,” Joe answered smoothly. “Jim asked me to make something for while we’re out.”

    Freddie stood on Phoebe's other side, leaning around him. “Phoebe, darling, what’s going on?” Joe shot him a glare at the hint of tempting scent he let out. Freddie shrugged. He wasn’t above cheating  _ sometimes _ . Not that it helped much against betas most of the time. 

    “I can’t tell you, Freddie,” Phoebe finally answered. Joe reached over and smacked him. 

    “We’re not allowed to say anything.” Joe glared at Phoebe. 

    Phoebe shrugged. “It’s a good thing, Freddie. Don’t worry about it.”

    “If Jim’s trying to keep something from me…” Freddie began. Joe waved his hand as if waving him away, turning back to his cutting board. 

    “I promise it’s something good. Now please go, both of you, so I can get this done in time. Shoo!”

    Freddie returned to his piano, Phoebe sitting on the couch a few moments later, and began playing something he’d scribbled down earlier. Phoebe said very little aside from comments about the developing song and little conversations with whatever cat decided to grace them with their presence. 

    “That’s a very beautiful song,” Jim said. Freddie looked around, finding the alpha standing beside his piano bench. He hadn’t even noticed that the two betas had left or that the sun had set at some point. 

    Freddie stood, busying himself with closing up the piano and shuffling his pile of papers. “It’s going to be something once I can get Brian to look at it. The guitar bit is all wrong.” He knew he was rambling again, as he did when nervous, but it didn’t feel like he could stop. Jim stood by him with a smile and waited until the omega finally ran out of breath. 

    “Can I show you something, Freddie? I promise you’ll like it.” He took Freddie’s hands in one of his and stepped towards their back porch. 

    Okay, those candles were definitely not there that morning. In fact, none of it was there. The food sitting on the table still looked hot. 

    “Jim, what have you been planning?” He sat when Jim pulled a chair out for him opposite from his own. 

    “I thought you’d like something like this,” Jim replied, shifting in his seat. “It’s been awhile since you’ve been home long enough.”

    Freddie watched Jim as they ate, returning the almost stilted conversation. Jim kept fiddling with something in his pocket. 

   “Darling, what’s really going on? Those two wouldn’t tell me. I couldn’t even get Phoebe to tell me anything.”

    Jim sighed, though he still smiled, and walked around to Freddie’s side of the table. He pulled the object out of his pocket. Freddie’s breath caught for a moment at the sight of the small box. 

    The alpha seemed to pause for a moment before lowering himself onto one knee with a warm smile. “I’m glad they didn’t spoil the surprise. Might’ve ruined the romance of this whole thing.”

    “Jim…” Freddie whispered, all he was able to say. All those words he’d written for songs and now they failed him. 

    “I know you’ve been hurt by him but I promise I never will. I think Roger would murder me if I did.” They laughed softly for a moment until Jim flipped the box lid open. “Freddie, will you marry me? If you’d have me, that is.”

    Freddie stilled his shaking hands and held one out. “Of course. I don’t think I could find anyone better if I tried.”

   Jim laughed, albeit shakily, and slid the ring onto Freddie’s finger. “Oh good, it fits.”

   “Of course it does,” the omega replied. “It’s just perfect, darling. Now get up here and kiss me before I decide against this.”

    “You wouldn’t do that,” Jim retorted, grinning, before he stood to take Freddie’s face in his hands and kiss his fiance (that name would take some getting used to) absolutely senseless. 

    He couldn’t wait to spend his life at Freddie’s side. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly can't believe this story is over already 😭  
> Let me know what you thought about the story and what your favorite part was! (q+a questions if you have any)  
> Thanks so much to every single one of you for reading this story and for each kudos and comment, because they made my day every time! 😁
> 
> So long and good night! - Freddie


End file.
